


Sailor Moon: Dream Reapers

by Andras



Series: Tales of Water and Fire [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dreams, F/M, Fantasy, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-09 01:03:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 46,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7780924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andras/pseuds/Andras
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dreams of hope. Dreams of the future. So fragile, so beautiful. It feels like they are just there, up for taking. So much oneiric energy, to be gathered by anyone who has the means. It's the perfect crime. No victims, just a few dreams lost forever. But one has to wonder: what happens to those who lost the ability to dream? It's the Sailor Soldiers' last year until graduation and a new enemy will lurk and corrupt their dreams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 01 - Cold Sweat

**01**

 

It had been a nice evening for the five girls that were gathered around the center table of a guest room in the Hikawa Shrine; reminiscing about the day of walking around town, shopping for silly mementos, and grabbing something to eat in the way. Appearances could be deceiving, as they secretly were the protectors of earth, the Sailor Soldiers. They have been enjoying a long period of peace, as no enemy attacked in a long time, and no threat appeared in the horizon.

“It's the last day of vacation, girls.” A girl with short hair, in a pretty tone of blue, said with a sad smile.

“After that, we'll have our last year of school, then some of us will go to college.” Added the girl with brown hair, tied in a ponytail.

“Others will follow their careers.” A blonde girl with a red ribbon joined the conversation.

“What about you, Usagi?” The girl with dark black hair said in a provocative tone. “You've been awfully quiet, which is very unlike you”

“I don't know.” She sighed deeply, clearly concerned. “I mean, what do you do when you have already had glimpses of the future?”

The other four girls gazed in awe at the blonde with peculiar hairstyle. They were surprised by the serious tone used by their friend. Usagi never once spoke about the future Crystal Tokyo they had all seen in their adventures, so her speech was quite surprising.

“Should I want more than what's reserved for me?” There was doubt in her blue eyes. She laid her head on the center table, dismayed. “Will it even make a difference?”

“You're afraid that the future is set in stone, aren't you, Usagi?” Ami, the girl with blue hair spoke in a gentle tone of voice.

“Maybe. “

“Don't be.” The gentle way that Ami said those word were comforting. “What we experienced were just glimpses of our futures. It might be inevitable that we are going to follow through with that path, but the middle of the road remains a mystery.”

Genuine confusion, and a little embarrassment crossed Usagi's features. “I don't know if I follow, Ami-chan.”

“What I'm trying to say is that we can't possibly know how much of what we have seen is a possibility or an impending reality. So, we shouldn't be making our plans based on what we think will happen, but rather what we wish it would happen.” The other girls smiled, as they comprehended what their friend was trying to say.

“We're so philosophical today, aren't we?” Rei, the dark haired girl spoke softly, but in a jesting tone.

“Ami does have a point, Rei.” Makoto, the girl with brown hair eplied, after a discrete laugh. “I won't let anything or anyone decide how I'm going to live my life.”

“Makoto...” Ami said almost involuntarily, in a relief. She was constantly fighting her own fears, and, speaking her mind, even among her closest friends, was very difficult for her. She felt peaceful when she realized that the other girls agreed with her.

Ami was right: even if Usagi didn't know what she was going to do with her life after school, she could be sure that it was going to be her decision, and not anyone else's. Usagi rested her head in the center table, and smiles, shutting her eyes just for a moment. The last thing she remembered was how much she loved feeling that comfortable around her friends.

When Usagi opened her eyes, she was all alone. A dreading fear rose through her spine once she had realized there wasn't a single soul in the shrine. Something felt off, but Usagi couldn't really point out what that could be. The fear turned into a state of alertness, as soon as she stood up. The room they often gathered around to talk was different as well, but she had trouble figuring out what was wrong. She pointlessly walked around the room, trying to find a meaning for that light-headed feeling that was overcoming her.

Usagi realized that the guest room suddenly turned into a long hallway. The walls were in a deep shade of navy blue, with a red carpet cutting through, creating an eye-catching walkway. She looked behind her, only to see a wall with a door guarding her back. Seeing no other way, she walked through the corridor.

She must have walked for hours and still barely noticed any progress. Her legs started to tremble the moment she decided to take a look behind her and saw the same door from the beginning of the hallway, not much further than it was when she began walking.

“What?” Usagi nervously spoke. “What's going on?”

She took another look at the hallway, only to see darkness. Where did it end? She longed to see the light of an exit, any indication that the hallway actually lead somewhere, anywhere. Instead, there was only the darkness, implying that the end was way too far off to be seen. “Ami?” Usagi yelled. “Makoto? Minako? Rei?” Calling for each of her friends made Usagi feel more and more uneasy. A shiver ran down her spine at the same moment that an end to the path is revealed. Soon after, a door seemed to appear from out of nowhere. The girl hesitated for a moment, but eventually grabbed the handle and entered the next room.

What she saw made her heart skip a beat: in a dark dungeon-like room, the four girls were held captive. They were chained to the ground by shackles attached to their necks and wrists. Usagi could see in their faces a mix of confusion and anger, as they struggled to get free.

“Girls! What happened?” Usagi ran to their aid, halting at the moment she realized someone is in the back of that weird dungeon room, watching them. That sinister laugh, that purple dress, the pale sickened skin, she knew exactly who that was:

“Beryl?!” She gasped, taking an involuntary step back. The woman was the one responsible for their awakening as Sailor Soldiers, when she attacked their town with her Youma, almost three years ago. The pain she caused those girls were not forgotten even for a single moment. “That's not possible!”

“Queen Beryl?!” Minako said, terrified as well. She tried to turn her head so she could have proof of her fears, but the shackles were too tight.

“I've been waiting for this moment for so long, Sailor Moon.” Queen Beryl had a vicious smile in her face, walking through the captive girls. Ami, Makoto, Minako and Rei tried to stand, infuriated with that sight. They weren't sure of what was happening, but they would rather hurt themselves trying to get free before they let Beryl hurt their friend. “That fear in your face taste so good.”

The fear was soon overcome by determination, as Usagi gripped her fingers tight in a fist. She knew what she had to do, she knew she had to fight to save her friends. Reaching for the pocket of her skirt, the blonde girl takes a pendant in her hands.

“Moon Crystal Power! Make Up!” Silence ensued. All the girls were confused when the transformation didn't start. Unable to believe what was happening, Usagi stared blankly at the Legendary Silver Crystal.

Beryl, using both hands, started to strangulate Usagi, lifting her in an angle that would aggravate her pain. Grasping for air, Usagi wasn't even able to scream, letting heavy tears run through her face. She could hear the voices of her friends calling her name, as she was losing consciousness. Her hands, once grabbing Beryl's arms, now had no strength. In the other side of the room, she saw a red blur, and a muffled voice seems to resonate.

“Wake up!” The voice had a commanding tone. The red blur was getting closer. “Wake up!” The voice was clearer, as the blur was already behind Beryl. The evil queen seemed shocked with that intervention, dropping Usagi in a haste. “You have to wake up! NOW!”

Usagi woke up in a sweat. She was home, as it seemed. Was it all just a dream? She had tears still running down her face, she was still breathless. It all seemed so real. Her first instinct was to reach for her cellphone, so she could call Mamoru, her boyfriend. Giving second thought, she decided she would call Ami.

Ami was standing by the window of her room when Usagi called. She was trembling in fear, having just awaken from an ominous nightmare. She tried to rationalize what had just happened, but it was very difficult to remain calm, as her heart was beating like a drum. She flinched hearing her cellphone ring, as it got her off-guard. Recomposing herself, she picked the phone:

“Usagi?” Her voice was still in a soft tone, proper of someone who had just woken up.

Usagi couldn't hide her relief when her friend picked up the phone. “Ami-chan! I'm sorry for calling so late.”

“That's okay. I've just woken up. I'm having some bad dreams.”

“You too?”

“What do you mean, Usagi?”

“I've had this dream where we were at the Hikawa Shrine, and it played out exactly like this afternoon, then...”

“It suddenly changed to a nightmare where we were captured by Beryl...”

“Exactly! Yikes!” The blonde felt a bad taste in her mouth, as if that dream wasn't really about to end. “Ami, what could that mean?”

“I don't know, Usagi.” Ami said, while sitting on her bed, startled. “But I have a bad feeling about this.”

“I'll call the other girls. Try and get some sleep, Ami-chan.”

“You too, Usagi. And thanks for calling.”

They hung up. Ami laid her head in her pillow, too scared to go back to sleep. She had been fighting as Sailor Mercury for a while now, and, having experienced unbelievable situations, she got used to never dismissing something as a coincidence. Usagi would probably leave a message, or call again, saying that all the girls had the same dream. She unwillingly fell asleep, while thinking about every single possibility that could explain this strange event.

 

Ami left home earlier than usual. Even though she had a lousy night, as she was unable to sleep well again, she wanted to arrive earlier so she could meet with her colleagues from the chess club. She was distracted in her thoughts, thinking if that was the right course of action after such a suspicious night. Eventually she convinced herself that it would be good for her to distract herself, and the chess club was one of the best ways to do it. After all, she had been slacking off due to her obligations as Sailor Mercury, and that would be the best time to make amends. The girl turned a corner on the street to keep her way, as she bumped softly into someone.

“I'm sorry...” The blue haired girl apologized right away.

“Not a problem.” The boy with long red hair replied, with an emotionless tone in his voice. He was carrying a bike with a broken chain, and didn't seem to be bothered by the bump, not even making eye contact with Ami. He wore the uniform from Juuban High School, Ami and Usagi's school, but there were some changes made by the boy, as he folded the long sleeves of his jacket up to his arms and left it unbuttoned. The inner white shirt was not tucked, giving him a lazy look, also, he had bandages covering his left forearm, as he just had some kind of fight.

The boy sported all the trademark traits of a delinquent. “He's probably a Yankee.” Ami thought at first. Yankees were often sign of problem, as they would get angry over any little thing. And the fact that they couldn't care less about their studies didn't paint them in a good light for Ami. Her first instinct was to back off, letting him get some distance. He was intimidating at first glance, with a strange aura surrounding him, which was the reason Ami held her steps. He noticed it, looking behind for a single moment. After a few more steps, he stopped and turned around, staring directly at Ami:

“It's okay to be afraid.” He smiled, trying to sound gentle. He sighed deeply, before continuing. The way he spoke showed Ami that he was aware of why she was scared. “You don't have to feel bad about it! Truth is, I haven't been sleeping so well these days. I had a problem with my bike, so I fell hard when the chain broke. It must have been funny though, as some kids couldn't stop laughing. Good thing is I always carry some bandages in my backpack, so I could stop the bleeding in my arm.”

“Well...” Ami walked next to him, a little impressed that he would open up and talk that much. Also, she was intrigued by what he said about not sleeping well, and decided to investigate a little about that boy. “...I'm sorry. It's just that you looked so much as a Yankee just out of a rumble.”

“I used to be one.” The boy said, trying to keep the smile on his face. “Got in a lot of trouble back in the day.”

“Oh...”

Noticing the feeble disappointment in her voice, he gripped his hand tighter in the handles of the bike, unable to hide his bother. “I get it.” Pushing his bicycle, the boy walked away, Ami felt guilty once she realized how indelicate she must have sounded.

“Wait!” She fastened her pace, following him. “It's not what you think. I'm just...not used to that kind of openness. I'm sorry, but, why are you telling me all this? I mean, if you're not a Yankee anymore...”

“I just...” He hesitated, immediately blushing. “...I think that if you want to be friends with someone, honesty is the best way to go. Could you imagine if I hide my terrible past from you, and you discover in the most inconvenient way possible? That could ruin everything that we might try to build!”

“You're a little weird, aren't you?” Ami couldn't help but laugh at the boy's rant, as he just stared, confused. He reminded her of Usagi, as they both could be really open and vocal about their feelings. Unlike Usagi, though, who gathered a lot of people around her with her openness and kindness, that boy was probably left alone because of his troubled past. Yankees still made Ami uneasy, but how could she deny that boy her friendship after such energetic speech? “My name is Ami Mizuno, and you are?”

“Homura.” He said, with a little crack in his voice that he tried to hide. “Andrus Homura. I don't fight anymore, though. So if you need someone to be your bodyguard you'll have to look somewhere else.”

“So, I'm guessing you're new at Juuban High, right?” Ami walked beside Andrus, who seemed to have lightened up, as he pushed his bike.

“Why do you think that?”

“Don't take this the wrong way, but a fireball like yourself could never go unnoticed in that school.”

He laughed, actually enjoying being called a fireball. “I'll take that as a compliment. But you're right, I recently transferred. I was living abroad, but as I said, I got in a lot of trouble. I...” He hesitated. “I'm not proud of what happened. I got in a serious fight. Bad stuff happened. I'm trying to start over, but, as you can see, I'm not very good at it. But...”

She suspected what was coming next. Her brightness wasn't something exclusive to her studies, after all. “But...?”

He looked at her sharply, which made Ami feel a little concerned. “I'm very talkative, and trying to be as honest as possible about myself. But you, Mizuno-san, don't strike me as someone who would give someone like me a chance to be your friend. I'm scary, and used to be a Yankee, while you're most likely a good student. I'm sorry if I'm being indelicate, but what is your real interest in me?”

She was busted. “Oh...” She said, as she was trying to think of a cover-up story, but after all that Andrus said about honesty, she just started talking, not thinking too much. “You intrigued me when you said you didn't sleep well last night. I had a horrible dream and didn't get much sleep as well. And I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who had this particular problem. I just found curious that so many people could suffer from the same disturbance in the same night. But I must confess, your speech was a little inspiring. I don't know much about leaving a past of fights and trouble behind, but I know a thing or two about making friends, and how difficult it can be.”

Andrus sighed, relieved. “Well, that' just because you're still living your life of fights and trouble, right? When you leave it behind, I'll probably already have some guidelines for you. Don't worry!” He laughed, with a big grin in his face. Ami was still somehow apprehensive. For a second she could have sworn that the boy knew anything about her secret life as Sailor Mercury. 'It's probably the lack of sleep.' She convinced herself, as she laughed with Andrus. She wondered if her new found friend was feeling as comfortable as she was. He should be, otherwise he wouldn't joke around and tease her that way. She smiled as she looked at the boy.

“I'm not worried. And if I need a bodyguard, I know who to call.”

“Hey! I just said that you shouldn't call me! I'm leaving the life behind!”

She laughed, eager to tease him as much as he teased her. “Well, you're not that scary, after all.” They walked beside each other, laughing and joking, until they arrived in Juuban High School. Ami stopped at the entrance, with a preoccupied look: “People will probably judge you way harder than I did, and I still stand by my words when I said that I didn't mean to.”

“I believe you.” He spoke, nonchalantly. “Still, I'm not worried, though. I never cared for what other people thought of me...that is, until I scared you. I'm really sorry about that.” He stopped, gazing at the school. “Say... isn't the school a little...I don't know...deserted?”

She patted on his shoulder, smiling. “It's a little early, Homura-kun. You don't have to worry.”

The boy felt embarrassed, covering his face with his hand “Oh!” He spoke, while laughing. “I thought I was going to be late, so that's why I hurried and broke my bike chain. Now I feel like an idiot. Well, at least I'll have time to find my class, lay my head down in the desk and try to sleep the sleepiness away.”

“Does that even work?”

“Not really, but it feels so good. Talk to you later, Mizuno-san!”

“Good luck, Homura-kun!”

He walked away, lifting his thumb in a positive gesture. Ami couldn't help but feel amused at how Andrus was able to change his attitude in a matter of seconds. Thinking back about that incident, she felt a little suspicious about her new friend: His sincerity and his openness could all be a way to try and find out who were the Sailor Soldiers, maybe he was the one responsible for all those bad dreams. Ami felt disgusted at herself for having those thoughts. She tried to shrug it off, telling herself that she must be careful, they have made the same mistakes before. She tried to tell herself that if Andrus knew all that, he still would be her friend, she tried to convince herself that he would understand. Still, that didn't help the blue soldier and her guilt.

Ami finally arrived at the room reserved for the chess club, and just as she thought, there were already a few members gathered, even though it was early and a first day of school. She greeted her colleagues with a smile, still embarrassed to actually say something, being received with a surprised but friendly tone.

“Well, look who's here!” One girl said, excited. “Haven't seen you around here for almost a month, Mizuno-senpai!”

Ami approached the girl. “Hana-chan! How have you been? Enjoyed your vacation?”

“It was great! I went to the beach with some friends. Although...” Her voice gained a particular tone that was becoming quite frequent to Ami. It was a puzzled tone, with a worried contour.

“What's the matter?”

“Well...since I came back I have this weird feeling. I haven't been able to sleep very well. And everyday, the whole day, I feel very uneasy.”

“That's weird.” One of the boys in the room spoke, eavesdropping in the conversation. “I haven't been able to catch much sleep myself, since I came back to town. And I've seen some people arriving at school today, and they look like they haven't slept in a little while as well. Don't you think that's odd, Sanada?” The boy reached to one of his friends, who was laying his head down on the table, probably trying to catch some sleep. “Sanada?”

“Is he alright?” Ami asked, worried. They all flinched when Sanada suddenly lifted his head. His glassy eyes and his twitching hands put Ami in alert. He got up, all clumsy, and a sudden purple aura seems to emanate from his body, he tried to speak, but all he could do was whisper, like he was struggling against himself:

“Help...” He softly said, tears flowing wildly through his face. “Help me!” The purple aura turned stronger, covering his whole body. Ami tried to reach the boy, but the energy surrounding him knocked her back. When the mauve hurricane of energy finally ceased, Sanada was no more, being replaced by a greenish imp-like monster, wearing a bizarre and unique piece of armor in his chest, with long shoulder pads.

The first boy, terrified, backed away. “What is that?!” He asked, tripping to the floor.

The green monster laughed, manically, arching his back. “I am the Bakhtak. I've been chasing your friend through a lot of dreams, and finally I caught him! You're next!”

The monster approached Ami, menacingly, as the evil aura surrounding him grew stronger.

 

_Next: Wild One_

 


	2. 02 - Wild One

**02**

 

Ami stood in the center of the room, facing that strange creature. Her colleagues flinched and retreated, so afraid they couldn't even rationalize what was happening in that moment. The Bakhtak laughed, floating above the ground, as he released his energy across the room, making every single one faint almost immediately, although Ami was left unaffected.

The imp was confused, staring at the girl. “That's...odd. You seem to have been unable to sleep as much as the others, how come are you still awake?”

“So you're the one behind the nightmares?” Angered, the girl shouted. Without answering, he fired a shot of purple energy, that was gracefully evaded as she jumped backward, landing behind a large desk in the middle of the room.

Ami reached for a blue pen, adorned with a golden mercury symbol, waving it high above her head. “Mercury Crystal Power!” Strains of blue energy surrounded her, starting her transformation. “Make up!”

The schoolgirl was replaced by Sailor Mercury, warrior of the moon kingdom. She leaped over the table, crossing the classroom while trying to hit her enemy with a flying kick. The Bakhtak evaded the attack, surprised by the speed that Sailor Mercury displayed. As he prepared for a new attack, he took a few steps back, unleashing a blaze of energy towards Ami. The girl withstood the attack as she immediately generated a water pillar in front of her, serving as a shield. Ami wasn't the strongest fighter in the group, she also wasn't the one with most raw power, but, to her advantage, she had the mind of a chess player. As the battle would go on, she was capable of scheming many forms of strategies, often choosing the most efficient ones.

Sailor Mercury had taken an aggressive stance, shooting bubbles at her enemy. The attack served well as a distraction, as the bubbles exploded upon hitting the monster, leaving behind mist all over the room. The Bakhtak moved around the classroom, hunting down the girl, throwing tables to the air, as he hoped to find the blue soldier. Ami sneaked past him, positioning herself behind so she could fire her technique; she held her hands up high, summoning drops of water that fell alongside her body, forming a puddle below her. The drops turned into streams that circumvented the warrior, who spun around so that her movement could increase the speed of the attack. The monster was thrown defenseless against the wall by the massive wave Sailor Mercury was able to create.

Ami smirked triumphantly, her tactic had worked out just the way she had imagined it would. Her bliss didn't last long, though, as the creature got up, barely hurt. He stood tall, as he used his energy to create some sort of fiery blade attached to his arm. His distorted grim seemed so menacing that Sailor Mercury took a step back, terrified.

“I'm here just to collect energy, you know. But you...” He gazed at his hand, covered in flames. “I think I'll kill you, just so you won't get in our way anymore!”

He leaped across the room, charging at Ami with his blade prepared for the attack, but was interrupted by a ray of pure light. He fell on his back, once more, only to see a girl dressed in similar clothes as Sailor Mercury, by the window. She wore red boots, red bow in front of her chest, and two red gems adorning her hair, with the peculiar pigtails.

“How dare you attack those hard-working students, that take time of their sleeping hours so they can wake up early and not be bothered in the fine art that is chess?!” She shouted while gesticulating. “Such a difficult game shouldn't be interrupted by monsters like you! Also, I woke really early today as well and was not in the mood to fight monsters, you know?"

“Sailor Moon!” Happy to see her friend, Ami shouted. Sailor Moon jumped inside the room, striking a fancy pose as she landed.

“I'm the warrior that will protect everyone's sleep!” She flailed her hands around, crossing them in a way that pointed towards the monster. “I'm Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!”

Having a new target, the creature launched himself against Usagi, who evaded his move in an inelegant manner, almost falling to her face. Ami launched a new wave of bubbles, that managed to slow down the Bakhtak. Sailor Moon took that chance to summon a wand in her hand, from which she shot another beam of light, that entangled the monster until he started to fade away.

“No! This cannot be!” He screamed, giving place to Sanada, the boy he possessed. “I'll find you in your sleep! You bet I'll find you!”

The boy collapsed, unconscious, as soon as the Bakhtak disappeared. Ami and Usagi changed back to their civil clothes and checked if the boy, as well as their colleagues, had any injuries. Seeing that they would be fairly okay, the two girls walked out the room so they could speak in private:

“Thanks for the help, Usagi.” Ami said, unable to hide her surprise as Usagi was not late for class, as she usually would be.

“I couldn't sleep much more, so I figured I'd come to school early." She said with a large grin on her face. "I knew I'd find you around.”

“I couldn't get much sleep either. When I got here, I found that everyone in the chess club have been having the same problem.”

Usagi glanced at all the students lying down, unconscious. A chill ran down her spine. “That's...weird.” She mumbled, still annoyed.

“I know. I'd already dismissed the possibility of that being just a coincidence, it was impossible that we had the same dream just because. That monster, and whoever is working out with him, are the ones taking control of our dreams.”

“How...” The blonde girl was terrified by that idea. “How are we supposed to fight someone like that? I mean, how can we defend our dreams?”

“I don't know.” Ami tried to keep her cool, but the very thought of someone invading and terrorizing their dreams was too much for her to handle. “The monster said he was here only to reclaim our energies, but I don't think we can wait for them to appear.”

Ami and Usagi, seeing as the other students were starting to wake up, decided to go to their classroom. There was not much they could do at the moment, but think and try to make some sense of that strange situation, so they could discuss it later with the other girls. When they got closer to their classroom, the pair saw a gathering of students, most of them appalled or with an angry look on their faces. They were whispering, all of them staring at the room. Ami heard someone saying something about a “Yankee”, which made her dash inside only to find Andrus, surrounded by fallen students. He was beaten up pretty badly, with parts of his clothes torn apart. The boys on his feet were also hurt, probably due to him. He had the most defeated look on his face, and when his eyes meet with Ami's, she could feel all the sorrow taking hold of him:

“They...They attacked me!” He was in shock. He muttered at first, shouting as he got more desperate. “They all attacked me! I didn't have any choice, Ami!”

Ami glanced nervously at him. “Oh, Homura...” She wasn't afraid of the boy, not in the slightest, but she knew what everyone else would be thinking. They both could hear the insinuations and accusations, it was way more than the boy thought he could bear. He bolted away, without looking back. Ami tried to reach him, but stayed back, watching him go. It probably had something to do with the dream creature. Was he the one that defended himself from the possessed students, or was he the one who got possessed? Either way, things were getting eerie in Juuban High School.

 

The red-headed boy was sitting in the bleachers surrounding the soccer field that belonged to the school. He was trembling, in a mix of cold and fear. He bowed down his head, hiding his face beneath his knees. “Not again...not this again...” He wanted to scream, but all he could do was mumble. His rehabilitation was over even before it started. He sighed deeply, trying to control that anger boiling deep inside of him. A sudden touch of a hand on his shoulder is enough to startle him, making him rise in a fighting stance, gritting his teeth.

“I'm so glad I found you.” Ami said, trying to be as gentle as possible.

“I can't do this, Ami.” He let his guard down, sitting again in the bleaches, followed by the girl. “I thought this was going to be hard, but that is just ridiculous! No one said anything about being chased by monsters and framed as a delinquent!”

Ami took notice of every single word he said as if she was trying to put the puzzle pieces of this horrid situation together. “Monsters?”

“Yeah. Those boys you saw. It was funny: they were way more friendly than I'd expect. Until they turned into monsters.”

“Tell me everything that happened.”

“Why are you so okay with what I just told you?” Andrus was still trying to hold his anger, and the way Ami was talking made he think she was pitying him. “You should be wondering if I'm either a liar or a madman!”

Ami frowned, slightly offended. “You're my friend, Andrus.” She said, in a serious tone. That words made the boy feel something that he hasn't felt in a long time: empathy. Up until that moment, his shoulders were tense, but he relaxed as he listened to his friend. “I don't think you are lying, and you might be hallucinating, but I wouldn't go as far as to say you're going crazy. You're new in this town, so you don't know much of the weird things that have happened here before. So, you went to the classroom so you could sleep, right?”

“Yeah.” He was still reluctant, but the girl made a fairly good point. “And there were these boys in the class already. At first, they looked funny at me, but who could blame them, right?” The girl chuckled, nodding her head. “So I went to them and we started talking, I told them almost the same I told you. And....”

“And what?” Ami asked, intrigued.

“And they told me that they have been having problems to sleep.” Andrus stared at his hands like he just realized something. Ami was getting anxious, she had way more suspicions than she would like. “Just like us.” He seemed to get back on track, continuing his story. “As we were speaking, one of the boys started to act weird. He immediately fell asleep, only to rise again, but something was changed. His eyes were glassy, and there was a strange aura around him. The same happened to the other guys, and they started attacking me.”

The girl thought to herself if he was hiding something, as he was still a little vague about everything that happened. “And you were able to hold them off, just like that?”

“They were stronger at the start. But as the battle would drag on, they went weaker and weaker, until they fainted.”

“I see...”

“And what you mean 'just like that'?” He said, in a lighter tone. “Do you think I'm a pushover? Or do you know something about those monsters that I don't?”

“No!” She said, hastily, soon bursting into laughter, part because of embarrassment, part because she was happy seeing the boy lighten up, even if it was just a little. “I just figured they were too many for anyone to fight. I would never guess they had stamina issues.”

“It was a little all of a sudden. It didn't feel like they were getting tired. Still, I have no clue of how long we did actually fight. When I realized, there were people all over the room looking at us.”

“Interesting.” Ami wondered if their source of energy had anything to do with the Bakhtak. “Andrus, I might say something that can possibly offend you, will you hear me out?”

“Sure.”

“Do you promise not to get offended?”

“Nope. And now you have to say it.”

“Uh...”

“Go on, at this point I don't think I can get offended, anyway.”

“What if you did get to sleep in the classroom, and you dreamed all those things that you told me. Meanwhile, your body reacted while you were sleeping which caused you to attack those guys.”

Andrus covered his mouth with his hand, taking a moment to wonder about Ami's speech. With an intense look in his eyes, he turned to her. “That's a really farfetched theory. Why do you think it could hold any water?”

“I believe there is someone or someones trying to manipulate our dreams, so they can use us as vessels to cause mischief and pain in this world, in an attempt to gather energy.” Andrus just stared at the girl, unable to react. He blinks, trying to cope with that information.

“What made you think that?” He inquired, slightly annoyed.

“A friend of mine and I were attacked at the same time that you...”

“Oh, my god!” He stood up in a haste, his eyes seemed like a pair of fireballs, ready to launch. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, we..." Embarrassed by his intensity, Ami stuttered. "We were saved by the Sailor Soldiers.”

“By the what, now?”

“As I told you, you are new to this town.” She spoke in a soft, but proud, tone. It wasn't very often that she would get the chance to tell someone about her powers, and she even felt nice talking about her situation as Sailor Mercury. “Stranger things have happened before, and we dealt with it like we are going to deal with this new problem.”

“You and those Sailor Soldiers?”

“Well, they will do their thing, we'll do whatever we can to help. “

“Okay, so tell me more about those soldiers.” Andrus said, sitting down once more, still shaken.

“They are five girls with great powers, that fight against any evil force menacing Earth. It has been a few good years since they first showed up, and there aren't many documented cases, but to know they are involved in this problem makes me feel safer.”

“And you and your friend were attacked by a mob of possessed students?”

“That's why I think you might have dreamed that. What attacked us was a single monster that possessed only one student, and he revealed his true form to us. After that, he made everyone fall asleep, claiming that he was part of the reason we couldn't sleep well those other nights. Using that against us...”

“...to steal our energies.” He completed her sentence, giving thought to what she was suggesting.

“Right.”

“And what if this monster you faced made those kids fall asleep and used them so he could drain their energy. That would explain why they suddenly fell.”

“Well, maybe you're right.” She conceded. It was reasonable, at least. Ami still felt without ground in either assumptions, so she wouldn't discard either of them.

Usagi arrived at the bleaches, waving. Ami replied as the blonde approached, promptly introducing her two friends:

“Homura-kun, this is my good friend, Usagi.” He reached for her hand, he had forced a smile while shaking the girl's hand, even though he was really glad to meet her.

“Guys, the teacher is almost here, we should get back to class.”

“I...” The boy was still reluctant. “I think I'll pass.”

“No, don't!” Ami spoke, worried. “If you leave, people will still wonder what happened and never get to know you or your version of the story.”

“I talked to them, Homura!” Usagi intervened, sporting a gentle and receptive smile on her face. “The boys don't remember anything, and I told most of the class what had happened to me and Ami, so, there are very few skeptics, I think you'll get along just fine.”

He couldn't disguise his sorrow, as he stood up, putting his hand in his pants pockets. “You're both right. But I need to figure somethings out, first. Thank you for everything, girls. It was really a pleasure meeting you.”

“Andrus!” Ami called his name. Upon hearing that, he lifted his left hand, holding his thumb up, without turning back. The same way he did when they arrived at the school.

“Don't worry, Ami. No one will get in my dreams.”

The two girls walked back to the class. Ami was feeling a level of defeat that could be close to the one the boy had earlier. Still, she doesn't let it stop her from telling Usagi everything she found out. They counted every little second until class was over, feeling eager to share the information with the other Sailor Soldiers.

 

Later that day, they all reunited at the Hikawa Shrine. The three remaining girls listened to the story, in awe that so much could have happened in a single morning.

“I feel sorry for that boy,” Makoto said, hugging a pillow in front of her. She gave a lot of thought to the information Ami provided but was still the first one to say anything. “I personally think that both of your theories make a lot of sense.”

“I agree.” Rei, the most sensitive in the bunch, stated. “I feel we can't discard either or them.”

Ami embraced her knees, agreeing. “Yeah.” She said mellowly, not trying to hide her bother about that whole ordeal. “Maybe none of them are correct, but might leads us to the right path.”

“Either way...” Usagi intervened, fearing the weight of her next words. “How do we fight against an enemy like that?”

There was no easy answer. Waiting for them to attack seemed like an awful strategy, but for now, it was the only one way to deal with this new enemy. None of those girls would sleep well, once more, trying to figure out the answer to that question.

 

Next: Spirit Slips Away


	3. 03 - Spirit Slips Away

**03**

 

Usagi was sitting on the sand, watching her friends having fun at the beach. Not only were the other Sailor Soldiers there, but also some of her school friends, such as Naru Osaka, one of Usagi's oldest friends. Everyone was having fun, teasing and playing through the whole morning. She was tired. She had no energy. Her boyfriend, Mamoru, who was also there, called for her name, but she couldn't see him. There was something weird, some animosity in his voice. All of a sudden he was standing right next to her, gazing her with a taunting grin.

“I can't believe you!” He sounded disappointed. “You bother us all to come to the beach, so you can sit there moping all morning.”

She had a pitiful look on her face, as she raised her head to stare at her boyfriend. “Mamrou, I...”

“That was to be expected, Mamoru.” Standing close to them, Ami spoke in a condescending voice. “You know how Usagi is. She always gets whatever she wants, whenever she wants. It's no surprise that this would eventually depress her.” Usagi couldn't believe those words. “She must have realized how futile she has been her whole life.”

“No, I...”

“She thinks she is so perfect, that everything else pales in comparison.” Rei had her hands in her waist, looking at Usagi in a discontent manner. “I can't stand it anymore, Usagi!”

She was surrounded. All her friends were pointing at her, criticizing, laughing. She tried to muffle the sounds, covering her ears with her hands, but it wouldn't help at all. In a sudden, she was being harassed by all of her friends, even her family was taking part in the shaming. In the distance, she could see a figure covered in darkness, looking at her. All was a blur. And then, she was awake.

She had tears in her eyes and was shaking in terror. That was by far the worst dream she ever had. She reached for her cellphone, and the first number she saw was Ami's. Her thumb hovered above the dial button for a long minute, until she dropped her phone and covered herself with her blankets, curling up and trying to embrace her whole body, unable to prevent herself from crying.

 

It was early in the morning at the Hikawa Shrine. The fire in the ritual room was burning, as the maiden tried to see any clue that could help her and her friends. The visions were stronger than ever and Rei was able to see clearly the city crumbling as a spiral of dark energy rose from the ground, consuming everything in its path. The shades took the form of gigantic humanoids, their hands reaching for the buildings and houses, tearing them apart without mercy. The strains caused by the visions became too much for Rei, that had to back away from the fire, gasping for air.

She took a minute to recompose herself from the disturbing predictions. As she walked away from the ceremonial room where she often performs the rituals for the visions, she felt something draining her energies. Soon, she was on the ground, shaking with an abrupt cold.

“What...” She tried to get up, feeling dizzy. “What is going on?”

“The pain should only be passing.” Rei heard a sharp voice at the end of the hallway. “Your mind will go numb, and I'll be able to make my entry.”

“Who is there?” She stood up, fiercely. Whoever was trying to intimidate her wouldn't get the chance to see her in any form of weakness.

“That's good.” She noticed a woman in red armor walking towards her. As the feminine figure approached, Rei could see that her complexion was covered in ashes. “You'll feel better knowing that you resisted as much as you could. It won't make any difference, though.”

“Stand back!” The sailor soldier shouted, trying to reach her transformation pen, but the energy drain was preventing her from moving. The armored woman grabbed Rei by her head, using both hands to keep her still. She opened her mouth, revealing the same darkness that the shrine maiden saw in her vision. The girl tried to scream for help but was unable to produce any sound. The woman covered in ashes turned into darkness, becoming one with Rei.

As Rei stood up, she realized that she was completely numb. Her body was moving, but she couldn't feel dominance over her movements. She could see, but her vision seemed distorted as if she was looking through tinted glasses. In front of her, the red armored woman stood, with arms crossed in front of her chest, in a challenging pose.

“You!” Even her voice seemed off, lower than the usual.

“You really impressed me, Rei Hino!” The woman said, satisfied. “I don't know how you are able to put such a fight, but it will make me enjoy taking your body even more.”

“I won't let you!” She said, determined.

“Don't you see?” The woman, who floated beside her, approached the girl, in a taunting manner. “As we weaken you from your dreams, you're an easy prey for us.”

“So... those nightmares?”

“Yes, a little treat from us.”

“And who the hell are you?!” She yelled, filled with anger. The warrior covered in ashes smiled, seeing Rei closer to despair.

“I think I can tell you.” She spoke softly, getting near her victim. “You deserved it, after all. I'm Cendrillion, the demon guard of the Dream Reapers.” Cendrillion's stare felt like Rei was looking directly at the sun. “So, do you have any last words?”

“Gotcha!” The confident smile on Rei's face confused her enemy just as much as that shout. In a swift move of hands, the shrine maiden stuck one of the temple's paper tag in Cendrillion's forehead. The woman was instantly paralyzed, as the girl broke free from the entangle, recovering her normal senses.

“No...” The red-armored warrior felt heavy and struggled with every single word. “...how can this be?”

“Serves you right for underestimating us humans!” She said, in a breath. It was a bold strategy, and she had to hold on to her energies until she saw a breach in Cendrillion's guard. One move, it was all that took to win the battle. The ashes covering the warrior's body ignited in flames, consuming Rei's enemy, leaving behind only pieces of the tag, and a few ashes scattered on the ground.

“I have to warn the others about this!” Rei thought to herself. She grabbed her cellphone, dialing Usagi's number immediately. It was in vain, as it seems that Usagi wouldn't pick it up. Rei tried for at least four times, each of them feeling a dreading fear rising.

“She's probably just sleeping.” The shrine maiden tried to convince herself, but it was of no use. “I better go there, just in case.” In a matter of minutes, Rei was dressed in her school uniform, running to her friend's house.

 

Ami arrived early at the school once again. She met the members of the chess club and talked about the incident of the previous morning. Most of them couldn't remember if any abnormal thing really happened that day. They were all still very tired, so Ami decided to go to her classroom, seeing that she wouldn't find anything useful with the chess club.

She also arrived early at school hoping that Andrus would come, hoping that she could talk to her friend. There was no sign of him whatsoever, just as yesterday. She didn't see his bike when she arrived, and the classroom was empty. She felt bad. She felt like she had failed that boy. She sat by the window, watching the students arrive. She eventually saw some boy arriving in a bike, and her face lit up with hope, but it couldn't be Andrus. She saw him only in a glimpse, but there was no long red hair to be seen, and the uniform was neatly worn.

The girl sighed, upset, almost not giving attention to the person entering the room. With the corner of her eyes, she could see that it was probably the same boy that arrived on the bike. He walked up to her and sat at the desk immediately in front. She looks at him, and was shocked by surprise:

“You look worried.” Andrus said. The short haircut made him look a little older, maybe even more mature, even though he still had that easy smile on his face. He probably was enjoying Ami's confusion a lot more than he should.

“Homura-kun!” She stood up, slightly embarrassed. “Of course I'm worried! After all that happened you just walked away!”

“I'm sorry.” He stood next to her, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants. Ami had realized that this was his habit for whenever he was nervous. “I felt awful. I should have realized that we didn't have any way to keep in touch. I meant to come back, but I also was determined to put my plan into action.”

“What plan?”

“I got a haircut!” He proudly said, pointing at his head.

“I... saw that.” She was still confused, and the boy seemed unaware of that. “But why?”

“I don't want to scare you anymore.”

“I was not scared of you, Andrus! I was scared for you!”

“I know! And I don't want that either. But the Yankee look doesn't help me with none of that.”

“I'm glad you're back.”

“Me too.” His smile didn't last long, being replaced by a serious look. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Actually...” She gave thought to that question. The night seemed troubled, especially as she was up late trying to figure out a way to fight the new enemy, but she would eventually fall asleep and go through the night undisturbed. “...I did. That's odd, I could have sworn that after that day, the nightmares would only get worse.”

“That's good.”

“And what about you?”

“Almost. But it was better than previous nights.” He hesitated. Ami could clearly notice that he was conflicted about something. “Ami...I'm sorry.”

“You're sorry for what?”

“I'm afraid I'll have to scare you once again.” She smiled at first, confused, but seeing the deadly serious expression on Andrus' face, she is forced to back away.

“What do you mean?” Something was wrong, that was easy to tell. Not knowing what it was made Ami anguished. Andrus initially tried to get closer to Ami as soon as she started to take steps back, but he noticed that it was only making her tenser.

“Usagi won't be coming to class today.” Upon hearing that, Ami reached for the transformation pen in her pocket. Any sudden move and the boy would have to deal with Sailor Mercury. “Last night she had this dream where every single loved one turned against her. They used her biggest insecurities against her, and now she is being used as energy for the Dream Reapers.”

“How do you know all that, Andrus?” She was conflicted. There was a lot of anger in her voice, and also there was that protective feeling she always had about Usagi, growing with each sentence.

The classroom door is strenuously opened, revealing one of the students. A girl walked in, dragging her feet. She had short black hair and glassy brown eyes. Those eyes looked directly at Ami for a few seconds, but to her surprise, she advanced towards Andrus.

“There you are.” She said in a gnarled voice. Andrus and Ami could now see the purple aura around the girl.

“I'll show you how I know all that I told you, Ami.” He held her arm, which made Ami feel uneasy. With a wave of his hand, the energy surrounding the possessed girl opened a portal. Without thinking twice, the boy dashed, dragging Ami with him into the portal. The world was spinning for the blue-haired girl, and, for a moment, all was darkness.

 

She stood up, feeling nauseous. There was a dark path ahead of her, with muddy colors whirling all around. It was cold, but there wasn't any discomfort. She took a few steps until she saw the red-headed boy. Her hand immediately went for the transformation pen, by instinct. He saw her, and walked in her direction, with a soft smile in face:

“Sorry for the turmoil.” He said. “I must have let go of your hand on the way in.”

“Turmoil...” She remembered the portal. Her memories were blurred, but she had this feeling they were just floating a few moments ago. She remembered seeing flashes of a dream involving that girl which appeared in the classroom. “Where are we?”

“In Sakurai's dream.” He said, offering his hand to Ami while trying to scout the path ahead. “The girl that showed up in the classroom.” He looked back at Ami, seeing that she was hesitating to hold his hand.

“Homura, what's going on?”

“Okay, I'll try to be quick about it, after all, we have some friends to help.” He put his hands on his waist, thinking about how he would start. “Last year I found out that I'm able to walk inside dreams. At first, it was an accident, then I was able to walk into other people's dreams, while I was asleep. Now I'm able to go inside them whenever I want.”

“Wait...whenever you want?”

“Yes.” He started moving, walking the path made of mushy colors, blended together. Ami promptly followed. “It took me a long time to pull it off. I'm trying not to leave anything important out, but we don't have much time. We must rescue Sakurai, and then we should go to Usagi.”

“And what do you do with that power, Andrus?” There was an accusatory tone in Ami's voice that doesn't go unnoticed by her friend.

“When I first found out about my power,” He spoke in a serious tone. “I had to deal with a demon named Baku. He was once a peaceful spirit, feeding of bad dreams of children. He went rogue, and tried to hurt a friend of mine.” Andrus didn't seem altered at any moment of his speech, but Ami could see that while he was talking, he gripped his hand tight in a fist. “I don't know if that was what caused my powers to show up, but it didn't matter. I had to do something.”

“Do you think Baku could be the one responsible for our problems?”

“I doubt it.” Andrus said, nonchalantly. “I killed him in dreams, and in the physical world as well.”

“That doesn't make a girl feel safer by your side, you know.” Ami was really upset, and uncomfortable, listening to that story. “And how were you even able to fight a demon?”

“I'm sorry, Ami.” He was embarrassed. “I'm being blunt here, but just because we don't have much time. I promise I'll tell you everything as soon as we are safe.”

They arrived at what it seemed to be a swamp, filled with school desks. In the middle one, Sakurai was sobbing, as a woman in blue armor handed her test after test, piling them at the table, giving her little room. The armored woman had turquoise skin and long white hair. Her armor was adorned with golden frills in the shape of sea monsters, her lips were in a beautiful amethyst tone, with white teeth that could be seen as she laughed at the girl's despair.

“Please!” The girl cried. “I can't take this anymore!” As soon as she said that, her desk seemed to be slowly swallowed by the muddy terrain, to the girl's despairs. She screamed, taking another test and writing.

“Ami, I'm going to need your help.” He said, glaring at the situation. “I'll distract the woman, you rescue Sakurai.”

“Okay!” She answered, determined. “You go first, I'll try my best to hide behind you.”

“That's a good idea.” The boy answered, admired that his friend would not only help him but would improve on his plan with such ease. “Let's go!”

They both ran toward their colleague, Ami kept a distance so that the armored woman would focus on Andrus. When they got closer, she made a detour in her way, now going for Sakurai.

Andrus jumped, attacking the woman with a straight punch. She evaded his attack, in an elegant sidestep. The boy charged against her once more, aiming a kick that was blocked by the warrior with her arm. The woman looked surprised, but that didn't make it any easier for Andrus.

“Sakurai!” Ami called for the girl, that looked up to her for a single moment, tears in her eyes, and went back to writing on one of the tests as she felt like the desk was falling deeper in the mud. “Sakurai, take my hand!” She tried to reach her colleague, but the girl wouldn't stop writing.

“Mizuno!” She yelled, terrified. “I can't stop. If I stop, she'll drown me! Please, help me!”

“Take my hand, Sakurai!” She looked at Andrus, seeing he wasn't having much luck against the armored woman. “We won't have many other chances! Right now, Andrus is fighting the woman who captured you, but he won't be able to hold her back for longer. If you want to get out of this, it has to be now!”

Sakurai looked at Ami and launched herself in the blue haired girl's direction. The desk was completely swallowed by the mud, but Ami reached her colleague's arm, holding tight, and pulling her away from the danger. Both girls fell to the ground, getting the attention of the armored woman. Distracted, she was an easy target for Andrus, that hit her with an ascending kick in the chin.

“Enough of your games, boy!” She said, angered. Waves of muddy water rose from the ground, grabbing Andrus and dragging him underground. Ami could see the boy struggling, trying to gasp for air. “I don't know how you kids got here, but no one makes a fool out of Chenelle, demon guard of the Dream Reapers.”

“Let him go!” Ami said. Sakurai was so afraid that she couldn't even look at the villain.

“And what if I don't?” Chenelle spoke, jesting, crossing her arms at chest height. A blue light appeared from Ami's hand, soon giving place to the Sailor Soldier of water and wisdom: Sailor Mercury.

“I said.” Ami pointed at Chenelle, with anger in her voice. In a sudden, the muddy water turned to crystal clear. “Let him go!” The water turned into a whirlpool, with strings of water pulling Andrus out, gently placing him next to Sailor Mercury. Next, the whirlpool became a tidal wave, attacking the armored woman.

“Wow!” Andrus said in a raspy voice, after coughing a lot of water, looking at Sailor Mercury. “If I knew you were that strong I would have sent you to fight the demon, and I would rescue the girl!”

“Andrus, get back!” She commanded, standing in front of him, ready to fight the demon guard. “I'll handle this.”

He grabbed her arm, his hands were still wet, and he was out of breath. She blushed with the intensity in his eyes, when they exchanged looks. She was determined to protect them, and was about to protest when she heard him say:

“That's not what we are here for. We'll have another chance to get her. Usagi needs us.”

“So what do we do?”

He walked towards Sakurai, who was still in shock. He made her look at him, by grabbing her chin. She was trembling but somehow felt lighter, calmer.

“It's time to wake up, Sakurai.” The oppressive scenario that composed her dreams started to crumble, and a portal like the one Ami and Andrus used to get there formed below their feet. In an instant, they were back in the classroom. Ami was still transformed, Andrus was still soaked. Sakurai was sleeping, nested in Andrus' arms. She seemed peaceful, at last.

“Ami, you might want to do something about your clothes, for when she wakes up.”

“Oh, right.” She went back to her civil attire, still feeling awkward about all that happened. “But she saw me transform right in front of her.”

“In my short experience, I think she won't remember much, but will probably have a better opinion of us, with little reason.”

Some other students arrived at the classroom, halting by the door, confused as to what was happening. Andrus and Ami walked towards them, embarrassed as they left the room.

“Sakurai had some problems earlier.” She took the chance to tell her colleagues. “Please, take care of her until she wakes up!”

“Thanks, guys!” Andrus waved, as he and Ami ran to the entrance of the school.

“You said Usagi was in danger, right?” Ami asked, worried.

“Yes. I thought that we could help her, at least until those Sailor Soldiers you told me about would appear. But seeing as things are, we might have a better chance than ever now.”

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you.”

“Come on, it's a huge secret.” He hopped on his bike, looking at Ami. “Is Usagi as powerful as you?”

“She is stronger.” Ami said, determined. “I know she will endure whatever this enemy throws at her, but we must hurry.” Ami looked at the back of the bike, wondering why there was no rider's seat. “Uh...Andrus, how will you give me a lift?”

“Oh.” He said, disconcerted. “I didn't think of that.” He took a moment to think. “Would you mind if you ride in the top tube, near the fork?” He let go of the bike's grip in his right hand, embarrassed as she showed the girl where she could sit. Ami sat sideways on the tube, being surrounded by the boy's arms. She blushed as she felt first his left arm, then his chest, against her back for a second before he started pedaling, and so they went to the rescue.

 

Next: Róisín Dubh


	4. 04 - Róisin Dubh

**04**

“So” Andrus tried to contain his curiosity, but couldn't hold it for much longer. “All that stuff you told me was real, right? You and your friends have been doing this Sailor Soldier thing for years now.”

Ami felt disconcerted, as she had been trying not to ask him for more details about his powers and trials; rather she would focus on rescuing Usagi. As it would still take a while to get there, and she couldn't get a hold of the other Sailor Soldiers, she saw no reason for not telling him. “Yes. Since we were fourteen. It's going to be three years in some time.”

“Wow!” He was genuinely impressed. “No wonder you fight like that, you must have had tons of practice!”

She laughed, as it was weird for her having someone outside her group that she could talk about that. “It hasn't been always easy, and I always get nervous and wonder about the worst possible situation. But having those girls by my side is comforting.” Ami saw that they were getting closer. “Turn left here.” She guided him through the way, as he swiftly pedaled. “What about you?”

“About a year.” He answered, after thinking for a while. “Can't believe it's that much.” He laughed, promptly correcting himself. “I mean, it's not much compared to you guys.”

“One year figuring out your powers and dealing with threats is a lot as well, Andrus!” She added, actually impressed.

“Yeah, but you're the veteran. I'm still just a newbie.” He had a large smile across his face, while he pedaled.

“You sound so proud.” She was a little embarrassed while speaking. She noticed they were almost arriving. That talk weirdly enough made her feel very comfortable, easing her troubled mind as it distracted her from the rescue they would attempt.

“Well.” He said. “You are pretty awesome.” Ami blushed immediately, at a loss for words. She saw Usagi's house in the distance, sighing deeply as she gathered energies.

“Andrus. Over there!” She showed him the house, to which the boy nodded, slowing down. As soon as they got of the bike, the duo could sense a disturbing presence coming from the place. Andrus felt really sick, almost immediately, as if he had been punched in the stomach. Ami was nauseated as well, but she could hold herself better. She wondered if it was some sort of protection that her powers granted her. She saw the boy breathing heavily, eventually recomposing himself.

“Are you going to be okay?” Ami asked, worried. He stood confidently, staring fiercely at her.

“Sure!” He said in a strong voice. “Whatever is inside, we must be very careful and...” He stopped as soon as he felt something crawling to his feet. Looking down, he saw a black cat, with a crescent moon on its forehead. “...A cat?” He crouched, so he could pick it up, sensing that the cat was distressed.

“Luna!” Ami yelled, hurrying to her friend.

“Ami.” She struggled to speak, surprising the boy who held her. “Something happened to Usagi.”

“Ami...” Andrus couldn't believe the scene unfolding in front of him. “the cat talked.”

“That's Luna, Andrus.” She said, softly. “She's our guardian, and our friend.”

“She's adorable!” Andrus was still dazzled by what was happening.

“Andrus!” Ami shouted, impatient. “Focus!”

“Oh!” The boy regained his concentration. “Sorry! You're right!”

“Luna...” Ami was seriously worried about the cat. Luna didn't seem to be hurt, but had every symptom of the energy drain that the girl had witnessed in the school. “Don't worry, we'll handle this!” Determined, Ami stood up. Andrus followed her, gently accommodating Luna in his bike seat.

“How are we going to enter?” Ami asked the boy, who shrugged. She gazed upon the house's facade, trying to figure some way to get in.

“Last time I had to do that, I broke some stained glasses from the door and opened from the inside.”

“Have you two checked if the door is even locked?” A third voice said, startling the couple. Ami recognized the voice as Rei's, turning around with Andrus to greet the girl.

“Rei!” She said, cheerfully. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough to hear that the boy is known for breaking and entering.” She joked, but was quite worried herself. That feeling she had concerning Usagi became true, after all.

“Hey.” Andrus said, offended, as he walked towards the front door. “I was desperate, ok? And it was only this once.” Turning the knob, the door opened, granting access to the trio. Rei took the chance to speak with Ami, in private.

“What is he doing here?” She said in a whisper, but with an authoritarian tone. “With him around it will be difficult to transform without him knowing."

“He already knows.” Ami said, ashamed. “We were attacked, and he was going to die. I had to.”

“Oh.” Rei backed off, disconcerted. The two girls followed Andrus, as they saw he managed to open the door. “That's unfortunate. I'm sorry If I was harsh, Ami. I'm just really worried about Usagi.”

“That's okay, Rei.” She spoke gently, as they approached the boy. “I'm worried too. But it was actually Andrus that brought me here. Without him, I wouldn't even know Usagi was in danger.”

They entered the house. The oppressive air was a lot for the trio to bear, but they had to endure. They couldn't see much, as there was a dark smoke instilling the house, it would twist and twirl in a disturbing pattern, as if it was alive. They walked carefully across the hall, finding Usagi's parents knocked out in the kitchen. Ami and Rei checked their pulses, noticing that although they were alive, their breathing was very weak.

They walked towards the stairs, intending to go to Usagi's room. Andrus stood near the beginning of the stairway, looking up with a dreaded expression. The two girls saw Usagi by the end of the stairs, floating eerily while facing them. Her hair was loose, resonating with waves of the dark smoke that filled the house, and her eyes resembled two navy blue marbles. They could sense an evil existence in that smoke which had a hold on Usagi.

“Andrus!” Ami shouted, standing next to the boy. “We need you to do your thing! Take us to Usagis's dream!” She was surprised that he would take that long to jump into action. His lack of response made the girl uneasy. As she looked at him, he seemed paralyzed, struggling just so he would be able to move.

“I can't!” He spat those words, barely moving an inch. Ami could see strands of that dark fog entangling Andrus. “Something's wrong, Ami! Get out of here!”

The shades around Usagi suddenly took the form of a woman. She wore armor similar to the ones protecting Cendrillion and Chenelle. Hers were all black, with frills in the shape of roses. Complementing the armor was a long gray skirt, and a sword with the sheath attached to the woman's waist. The shadows were then replaced by this woman with pale white skin. She had yellow eyes, and an easy smile in her face. She laughed hysterically as she took full form.

“Ah, the dream walker!” She spoke through her silver lips, gazing at Andrus. “I knew we should have taken care of you directly. No matter, you'll die here, anyway! Unfortunate was the day you had to face Scáthach, demon guard of the Dream Reapers.” As she said those words, Usagi and Scáthach both lifted their right hands, pointing at Andrus. Strands of the dark smoke tied him up, pulling him closer to them. Ami tried to reach him, but it all happened too fast. A portal much like the one they have seen when fighting Chenelle appeared before Usagi and Scáthach, as they threw the boy inside. “You two stay here!” The armored woman said to Ami and Rei, while approaching Usagi. A glare took the blonde girl's eyes, as she turned to the two Sailor Soldiers. “I'll leave you playing with your friends, Usagi. Get rid of them, I'll kill the boy.” Scáthach entered the portal, retreating to the dream realm.

Usagi had a twisted smile in her face, the shades were used like whips by the girl, attacking Ami and Rei, who jumped each to a side, protecting themselves.

“Ami!” Rei shouted, disturbed by what she had seen. “What do we do? We have to stop the woman! She is most likely the reason Usagi is out of control!”

“I don't know!” Ami seemed desperate. “The only way we can get in the dream realm is through the portal, but there's no way to open one without Andrus!” Usagi floated down the stairs, laughing hysterically, before Rei could make any remark.

“Found you.” She said, in a distorted voice. By a wave of her hands, she unleashed strands of the dark smoke that attacked both Rei and Ami. The girls barely managed to escape the attack, leaping across the hallway, each one to their side.

It was for only a split second, but it was enough time for Ami to go through all the options she had and decide that they couldn't stay on the defensive for much longer. She reached for her transformation pen, only to be surprised that the item was already glowing towards Usagi. “Something's different.” She wondered. “Could it be?” There were no time for second guessing, as she pointed the pen to Usagi, shouting the sequential words of her transformation. “Mercury Crystal Power! Make up!”

Not only the lights gave place to Sailor Mercury, but they seemed to react to the dark smoke, containing it and then repulsing it. “My crystal must have changed when I transformed in the dream realm.” Ami wondered. What more was it capable of? She tried to remember what Andrus did to the energy surrounding Sakurai, putting all her might to it. She eventually was able to create a portal of her own behind Usagi. Even the position of the portal was accounted for. Rei was about to grab her own transformation pen, but halted when Ami spoke. “Rei! Don't transform yet!” She hesitated, seeing that Ami was actually inflicting a lot of pain to Usagi, even though she appeared to be in control of the situation. The portal opened wide, distracting the possessed girl for a moment. Ami saw a chance, and she was going to take it.

“Rei! Come on!” Sailor Mercury dashed, running towards Usagi without hesitation. Rei followed right after, even though she wasn't sure of what was happening. Ami tackled Usagi into the entrance, Rei managed to get through the portal as well, in the nick of time that it stayed open.

Ami, Rei and Usagi arrived in a forest with ghostly figures taking the shape and place of trees, surrounding the girls in a claustrophobic environment. As Ami anticipated, bringing Usagi's body to the dream realm was enough to cease Scáthach's control. The body was still asleep, probably because Usagi's mind was still a puppet to the so called Dream Reapers. Rei finally transformed, as their search for Usagi and Andrus had just begun.

Usagi was sitting in a clearance, bawling her eyes out. She had been brought there by her own friends, that teased and shamed her the whole way. They eventually disappeared, leaving her behind, and then came the Dream Reaper. Scáthach had drained all of her energies, using her sorrow against her. Abandoned, Usagi barely could stand a chance against the woman, who provoked her and misled her to think that all her friends despised and left her there, so they could be peaceful at last. Usagi's hope was immense, and even though there was no reason to believe her friends, she still did. But as time went by, the physical and emotional drain was taking its toll. Scáthach had disappeared for a while, and since then the girl had been trying to regain control of herself.

To her dismay, Scáthach reappeared, bringing Andrus with her. He was trussed up in what looked like a strand of a dark shade, being dragged by the woman. Upon seeing him, the girl's face lit up. When he saw her, he felt relieved as he confirmed that there was still hope. “Usagi!” He shouted. Before he could continue speaking, a new strand of the shadows covered his mouth, gagging him as it solidified in some sort of dark matter. Soon after, he was blindfolded by the same darkness. His muffled protests only made the girl even more scared.

“He was abandoned, Usagi.” Scáthach said, teasing her. “A delinquent like him could never have real friends, don't you think?” The armored woman took her time, savoring the tears and basking herself in Usagi's sorrow. She stretched the dark line that tied the boy's arms, suspending and hanging him in one of the trees. “You two deserve each other. Two outsiders with no future.” That last word made Usagi's spirit ablaze once more. The future. Usagi had seem glimpses of what was reserved for her. She knew that her friends were waiting for her return. She stood up, while Scáthach was busy admiring her latest catch. The power emanating from her resonated in her physical body, covering it in pure warm light. The body floated, projecting her way to the clearance, passing Sailors Mercury and Mars.

“What was that?” Rei said, amazed. “Was that...was that Usagi?”

“I thought I saw that too, Rei!” Ami spoke, also trying to figure out what was happening. “Let's go!” They gave chase to the stream of light, wondering if they were too late, or if they arrived just at the right moment.

Usagi's dream body and physical body soon became one, the girl had woken up inside her own dream. The light caught attention of Scáthach, making her turn to Usagi. Sensing something was wrong, the armored woman unsheathed her sword, turning her back to Andrus. It wasn't possible to know if the boy was aware of anything that was happening, but he managed to take impulse from the tree, kicking Scáthach hard enough so she would drop her sword. He struggled, trying to get free and also trying to warn Usagi that she should transform. It wasn't needed, though, as the girl already had her hand up high, ready.

“Moon Crystal Power! Make up!” Unlike her first attempt to transform inside a dream, this time she managed to turn into Sailor Moon without any trouble. The light filled the clearance, banishing all the shadows and releasing Andrus. The boy fell off the tree, coughing up the shadows from his mouth, disgusted. Ami and Rei finally arrived, delighted to see Sailor Moon.

“Usagi!” Ami yelled, running towards the leader of the Sailor Soldiers. “You're okay!” She had tears in her eyes, hugging her friend.

“I'm so glad.” Rei joined in the hug. Their energy only made Usagi stronger. Everyone could sense it. Andrus stared amazed at how much power they had, as the trio of Saillor Soldiers were finally together again. Scáthach reached for her sword as she stood up, unwilling to give up, even after seeing that much raw energy.

“What a pleasant surprise!” She said, in a rasping voice. “More power for me to harvest!” She jumped across the clearance, thrusting her sword against Sailor Moon. Usagi summoned her wand, arduously blocking the attack. To the armored warrior's surprise, Rei already had drawn her bow, with an arrow made of fire ready to be released.

“Mars flame sniper!” The arrow hit Scáthach's shoulder, destroying the pad covering it and forcing her to stand back. Ami was already preparing her own attack, focusing water in her hands. The water turned into a harp, and as the girl would pluck the strings, a strong whirl launched against the demon guard.

“Mercury aqua rhapsody!” The vortex threw the woman across the clearance, crashing against one of the trees. For all the trouble she caused, Scáthach didn't seem that much of a threat now that the Sailor Soldiers could fight her in her own game. The warrior stood up once again, with a black rose behind her fingers, the only thing remaining from the dark woods corrupting Usagi's dreams. With a sad smile on her face, she threw the flower against Usagi, that blocked with her rod. A miserable final stand for Scáthach, as Sailor Moon charged her technique. Light surrounded her, as she fired a heart shaped beam against her enemy.

“Moon spiral heart attack!” Scáthach screamed, while being consumed by the light. The tainted dream realm turned into a beautiful forest, filled with woodland critters savoring the sun, that shined bright. The girls were actually impressed by the landscape, such beautiful scenery could only be Usagi's own dream realm. Andrus stood up, joining the Sailor Soldiers.

“That was amazing!” He said, tired, still trying to get a hold of himself. “Way to go, girls!”

“I'm so glad you're here!” Usagi said to the rescuing trio, holding Ami and Rei tighter. There were tears in her eyes, and her heart was racing. Even though she was overwhelmed, she wouldn't let her body win over, as she cherished that moment. “I knew you wouldn't leave me!”

“Never, Usagi!” Rei sobbed, moved by Sailor Moon's words, as she spoke. “Whoever did this to you is going to pay!” Usagi seemed really happy. Andrus smiled satisfied seeing the trio.

“Andrus!” Usagi reached for the boy, worried. “I owe you a lot!”

“Don't worry, Usagi!” He said, embarrassed. “You're alright! That's all that matters!” As ashamed as he was for getting caught so easily, he was also relieved that the rescue worked out just fine. “Rei and Ami that did all the dirty work!”

“Let's go home, shall we?” Ami said, still light-headed from the bliss she felt beside Usagi. Andrus opened the portal to the real world, and the four youngsters stepped outside the dream realm. All of them ignoring the unusual black rose stuck in Usagi's hair. The rose eventually dissolved, turning into a single black strand of hair, hidden by Usagi's golden locks.

 

_Next: Thunder and Lightning_


	5. 05 - Thunder and Lightning

**05**

 

Ami was standing in front of a kendo dojo. As she heard the yells and the clashes of the wooden swords, she wondered if Andrus gave her the right address. She was expecting him for at least twenty minutes, with no sign of the boy. She looked at her watch, worried that she might have been in the wrong place.

“Kept you waiting, huh?” Andrus finally appeared, carrying his bike. He had a slender, long bag strapped to his shoulder indicating that he just left the dojo. “Practice went a little longer than I expected. I'm sorry.”

“That's okay.” She gently said. “I didn't wait for too long. I was just worried if I was in the right place. Wouldn't guess that you practiced kendo.”

“I'm actually a surrogate teacher.” He pointed at the dojo's sign, which read _Homura Ryu Kendo_. “That's why I couldn't leave earlier. I tried, though, but the old demon wouldn't let me.”

“Old demon?” Ami asked, concerned. Did Andrus fought one of the enemies by himself in that small gap of time?

“Granpda.” He laughed. “I love that old geezer, but he likes to give me such a hard time!”

“He can't be that bad!” With a smile, Ami disarmed Andrus's attitude. They walked for a while, until the girl felt an urge for some answers. That was still much doubt in her mind, keeping her from feeling truly comfortable beside Andrus. “Say, you never told me how you knew Usagi was in distress.”

“Oh, that.” He sighed, remembering the whole ordeal. “Earlier that same day, I was hopping from one dream to another, and ended up in Usagi's dreams. She was being harassed and shunned by everyone. You, Rei, even her parents were there, If I'm not mistaken. I tried to wake her up, but I was banished from the dream before I could do anything. Probably was Scáthach's doing.”

“Maybe that's why she said she owed you so much when we rescued her. Maybe she remembered that you tried to help.”

“Maybe.” He was still annoyed about his ineptitude in that day. That was his sole reason for bringing his wooden sword in the bag: he felt like he was being careless for not bringing it along since the beginning, and that was a mistake he would not make again. “And what about you and Rei?” He asked, remembering he also wasn't fully aware of what happened after he got captured. “How did you get in Usagi's dream?”

“This!” Ami took out her transformation pen, confidently. Andrus couldn't tell, but the pen was slightly different from its original shape. “It changed once I transformed inside Sakurai's dream. I didn't even noticed until we were in Usagi's place. Somehow, it granted me the power to get inside her dream.”

“That's amazing!” He said, content. Something good came out of all that situation, after all.

“I wonder if it allows us to go inside anyone's dreams, much like you do.” Ami pondered, putting the pen back inside her pocket.

“I, for one, wouldn't mind becoming obsolete.” He smiled at Ami. The girl smiled back, as he was pushing the bike. “So, where are we going, anyway? You invited me to this Sailor Soldier reunion, but I'm just following you around.”

“Oh!” She had an embarrassed smile in her face. “I'm sorry! I got distracted while we were talking. We usually meet up at the Hikawa Shrine.”

“I know where that is.” He stared down at the pedals of the bike, as he gave some thought. It was far enough for him to suggest to give her a ride, and it probably wouldn't feel very awkward. As a matter of fact, he felt really good last time, but now he was too intimidated to say anything about it. It wasn't urgent like the last time, and he believed that she could give him thousands of reasons they didn't need to use the bike at all to get to the temple.

“We could go on your bike.” Ami thought to herself. She wanted to say something, but even the thought of speaking those words made her face burn in embarrassment. She even felt bad for having those feelings after all the troubles they had, and all the troubles they might have, since she knew this situation was far from over. “So, how long have you been practicing kendo?” She felt awful for her attempt to lighten up and disguise her ideas. She thought that Andrus would probably pick up all the awkwardness she was feeling, but as he answered and kept talking, she eventually felt better, forgetting her silliness.

They arrived at the temple, heading directly to the guest room. Rei, Makoto and Minako were already there, having tea while they waited for the couple.

“Girls...” Ami said, still feeling slightly awkward. She felt like every one of the girls could see deep inside her soul, noticing her true feelings as she uttered those words. “This is Andrus.”

“Hey!” He waved his hand, a little uncomfortable. “Nice to meet you!” He shook hands with Rei, glad to see her once more, and with Makoto and Minako, recognizing them from Usagi's dreams. He then spotted Luna sitting in a pillow, immediately petting her. “Luna! Glad to see you again!” The cat was caught off guard, blushing violently, although she enjoyed the attention. “You're so cute!” The girls laughed, as they also weren't ready for his reaction.

“Where's Usagi?” Ami asked. Makoto and Minako looked disturbed, avoiding eye contact, which was odd. “She didn't come to school today.” The blue haired soldier added.

“She called.” Rei said, realizing why the two girls felt bothered. “She won't make it this time. She's still pretty shaken about what happened last evening.”

“Who could blame her?” Makoto spoke, in a bitter tone of voice. “Those monsters!” She wouldn't even try to hide her anger. “How dare they tamper with someone's dreams and emotions?”

“Specially with Usagi's!” Minako added, also enraged. Andrus admired that loyalty, and how they were so protective of Usagi. He should have guessed that she was surrounded by good people, knowing her and Ami as well.

“What do we know about those Dream Reapers?” Even though he didn't want to intrude, Andrus intervened. “I mean, they are not only using our dreams to harvest energy, they are also controlling people. But why do they need that energy? And what do they intend to achieve?”

“That's a good question.” Minako spoke, calming down. “It seems that they need our dreams to harvest energy so they can come to our realm.”

“But when I fought Cendrillion” Rei interrupted Minako. “She materialized in front of me without the need to gather energy from me.”

“She could have taken it from someone else.” Makoto wondered, as she tried to figure out what was happening.

“What did Baku want?” Ami asked directly to Andrus, confusing the other girls. The boy smiled gently, surprised that she remembered the name of one of his foes.

“His modus operandi was a little different from the Dream Reapers'.” He reminisced, while the girls listened carefully. “He terrorized a single friend of mine, invading her dreams, making her vulnerable enough to become his vessel to the real world. Why do you ask, Ami?”

“Well, it's obvious that the Dream Reapers have a leader.” Luna said, following Ami's lead but slightly changing the flow of the conversation. All girls nodded, as they also thought that. “By what I can tell, someone very powerful is pulling the strings, but for some reason that person can't take the lead in the attacks, so that's what those 'Demon Guards' are for.”

“They're probably gathering energy so that their leader can fulfill their agenda!” Rei stated. “Every time we foil their plans, we must have been delaying their schemes!”

“Which makes us” Minako followed. “and Andrus a serious threat to them.” They were all very serious, while the boy only watched, amazed.

“You guys are very experienced in this, huh?” He said, lightly. “That's three years of fighting as Sailor Soldiers for you!” He completed. Seeing those girls in action, seeing them united to gather information, made them seem much cooler and professional in the eyes of Andrus. Seeing that boy laugh in the face of danger made him seem brave -if not careless- in the eyes of those girls. They would spend few hours discussing and making plans for the eventual attacks. Eventually, they would disperse after they exhausted all possibilities they could come up with.

 

Later that day, Makoto and Minako were walking together, crestfallen even after such high-spirited conversation. They wandered through the streets, until they heard the sound of a bike chain, following them.

“You're going to Usagi's house, aren't you?” Andrus couldn't help but notice that they were upset that they weren't there to help Usagi. And even more annoyed by the fact that they couldn't take the initiative against the new enemy.

“Andrus.” Minako said, glad to see the boy. “We need to!”

“I get it.” He had a serious expression in his face. He was one to joke around as much as he could, even more if that could hide his insecurities, but he sometimes knew when it was the moment to take things seriously. “And I think you're right to do so!” The boy added. “Scáthach messed up her mind pretty badly. And you girls should keep an eye out for Usagi. Do you mind if I come along?”

“Sure, but wouldn't you prefer to go there with Ami?” Minako couldn't miss that chance.

“What do you mean?” He asked. His heart was beating fast, his palms were sweaty, and he tried to hide all emotions in his tone of voice.

“Come on, Andrus!” She said, instigating. “When are you going to tell her that you like her?”

“I can't!” He immediately gasped, surprised. He meant to say that he had no idea of what she was talking about, but the words he spoke came before he could even think about it. “Damn...” He felt overpowered by his own thoughts and feelings. “How did you know?”

“Are you kidding?” Makoto said, positively. “Everyone in that room could see the way you looked at her!”

“Look...” He sighed, conflicted. “Nothing would made me happier than telling her! But you know her. She's this brilliant girl, while I'm the guy with an IQ number that match the size of my shoes! All that aside, I'm a bloody Yankee messing around with some dream demons!”

“All I'm saying, Andrus” Minako tried to be the voice of reason, as they were approaching Usagi's house “is that you shouldn't underestimate Ami and her feelings.”

“Why are you carrying that bike if you're not going to ride it?” Makoto asked, wondering that since they saw him leaving the shrine.

“I brought it from my grandpa's dojo so I could offer Ami a ride to the shrine.” He seemed disappointed. “But I chickened out.”

“That's tough!” Minako spoke, gently.

“And I don't want to distract her, okay?” He argued, sounding unconvinced. “There is a real threat here and we should all focus on that, not on the chicken boy!”

“Whatever you say, Andrus.” Makoto teased the boy, ringing the doorbell to Usagi's house.

“Do you think she likes me?” Andrus asked, compromising his adamant stance, without any response, just a few laughs from the two Sailor Soldiers. “Girls?” He grunted, displeased. Usagi's mother soon opened the door, greeting the trio.

“Makoto! Minako!” She gently said, looking tired. “I'm sorry, but Usagi is already sleeping.”

“Oh. It's quite early for that, isn't it?” Minako spoke, pessimistic.

“Well, she wasn't feeling so good this morning, I think that she needed some rest. I have never seen her so dejected!”

“That's why we came!” Makoto stepped in. “We are worried about her!”

“Mamoru came earlier for the same reason. Usagi was awaken by then, and they have talked for a long time. He left with a serious look.” She pondered. “Do you think he said something that saddened Usagi?!” There was genuine anger in her tone of voice.

“No!” Minako said, in a haste. “That's impossible! Mamoru would never hurt Usagi!”

“That's for sure!” Makoto added, feeling bad for being unable to tell the whole story to Usagi's mother. “Mrs. Tsukino, when she wakes up, will you tell her that we were here?”

“Of course! Thank you for coming!”

“Thanks, Mrs. Tsukino!” The two sailor soldiers said, simultaneously. They left with a gloomy expression in their faces, as they accomplished nothing.

“What do we do now?” Minako asked, depressed. “This feeling won't go away!”

“Why don't we look for Mamoru?” Makoto suggested. “I'm sure he didn't say anything bad to Usagi, but he may have something to say to us that would make us calm down.”

“And he might also be a target.” Andrus said, casually. “Right?” The two girls haven't thought of that, but it was plausible. The enemy actually spent a lot of time lurking in Usagi's dreams. After all, she's been a target since day one.

Determined, the trio marched through the streets. Andrus followed the Sailor Soldiers, as he had no clue where they were going. They wandered for half an hour, until they spotted Mamoru in the way to his house.

“That was really lucky!” Makoto said, unable to see the bigger picture.

“Wait.” Minako held her steps, as she sensed something wrong. Mamoru was in the middle of a busy avenue, accompanied by other people. They were blocking one side of the street, creating a massive traffic jam. When Makoto got closer, she felt her limbs going numb, tripping and falling to her knees. Minako pulls her back in a hurry, and she starts to recover immediately.

“What happened?” Makoto cried, still feeling faint.

“Dream Reapers?” Andrus stood next to them, dropping his bike and picking up a sword made out of a single piece of wood. They could see in the middle of the crowd a bright light that extended its beams among the hampered people. That resplendent stream seemed to be what was enthralling everyone, and also the cause for the numbness Makoto felt. “I feel like there's something different here.” The boy said, uneasy. By then, the assemblage turned to the trio in a synchronized move, startling then.

“We better figure it out now, before it's too late!” The tension was unsettling for Minako, as the crowd moved towards then.

Andrus waved his hand, trying to reach Mamoru's dream. It seemed wiser to rescue him first, as he probably would be of much help to them. A massive vortex made of the same bright light appeared before them. “There's something definitely different this time.” He wondered, as Makoto and Minako sprinted towards the entrance. He tried to follow, but the mob surrounded him, preventing him to go further. “You two!” He spoke in a breath, evading a blow from Mamoru. “Get to his dream and find out how to snap him out of this spell! I'll try to fend them off!” They nodded, running away from the crowd.

“Try not to hurt them!” Makoto yelled, as she entered the dream realm. Andrus rose his thumb, in an agreement gesture, taking a defensive stance against that horde. The two Sailor Soldiers walked through a trail of bright bricks, their gaps glowed with a warm light, as they arrive in a twisted Crystal Tokyo. The future they once visited in their adventures.

The streets were deserted, and looked like they had recently been a war zone. Buildings collapsed, and that sulfuric smell practically invaded the girls' senses. What caught the girls' attention was the dust covering every single part of the city. It appeared abandoned, but they could hear sounds all through that ghost town.

As they kept walking, they could see some people hiding in alleys, and inside some of the constructions, peeking through windows as they passed by the streets. Makoto and Minako eventually realized that those people were part of the controlled mob they faced just before entering that world.

“This is weird!” Minako was spooked. The alarming scenario unfolding before her eyes left a bad taste in her mouth. “We should head for the Crystal Palace, don't you think?”

“You're right!” Makoto tried to keep calm, but she was also scared out of her wits. They headed for the castle in the center of the city, wondering why its brightness had faded away.

Walking through the town, an eerie sensation crawled their spines. They knew it was only a dream, but it seemed so real they could feel the sweat break on their brow. The cold wind blowing their hair made them actually shiver. This was a new and weird experience for the duo, as they marched the streets of Crystal Tokyo.

As they reached the palace, they saw two bright orbs hovering the staircase that lead to the castle's main gate. When they approached, the globes started changing into humanoid shapes. Soon after, there were two armored warriors in front of the Sailor Soldiers. One of them had dark brown armor, and dark brown hair. Her shoulder pads were covered by a white cape, and her face was protected by a light helmet. She held a long spear, which consisted of a wooden pole with a curved blade on the end, much like a _naginata._ The other warrior wore light cyan armor, and her angelical face made her seem less of a threat, although she had a twisted look in her eyes.

“What do you think, Caitriona?” The one with the spear said, in a condescending voice. “Shall we kill the intruders, or play with them for a while?”

“They shouldn't suffer more than needed, Adare.” Caitriona said, without changing her gentle expression. “But they should suffer nonetheless!” An evil smile took hold of her face, as she fired a light beam against Makoto and Minako. They manage to evade the attack, leaping back and chanting their transformation sequence:

“Jupiter Crystal Power!” Makoto yelled.

“Venus Crystal Power!” Minako followed.

“Make up!” They said in a unison. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus rose to the battle, choosing their adversary as a personal challenge. Makoto went for a jump kick against Adare, that defended with her spear. Minako summoned chains in the shape of hearts, whipping them in Caitriona's direction, that blocked with a wave of her hand.

Adare swung her lance against Sailor Jupiter, that dodged in a swift move of her feet. Another swing from the demon guard meant for another evasion from Makoto. What the Sailor Soldier didn't expect was for a kick following the movement of the spear, that hit her in the chest, bringing her down for the first time in the battle.

Caitriona unleashed a barrage of light beams against Minako, that failed to evade them all, taking a few blows before hitting the ground. “This new enemy is strong!” Sailor Venus thought to herself, while standing up once more just in time to dodge a new set of light pulses.

Makoto wasn't having much luck, either. Every single one of her blows were blocked by Adare's spear. When Sailor Jupiter would focus on the lance, her adversary managed to hit her with a kick, or a punch. When she focused on the demon guard's limbs, she would strike a blow with the spear. She caught Makoto in her deep mind game, teasing a blow only to strike with a different one. Not even the martial training Makoto had would make her match Adare's level.

The Sailor Soldiers retreated for a moment, turning their backs to each other. They were in dire straits, as they were barely able to defended themselves. “Makoto.” Sailor Venus said, after giving much thought to their situation. “Let's switch enemies!”

“I'm on it!” Sailor Jupiter didn't even hesitated, as the girls turned around and traded adversaries. Makoto fired a wave of thunder blasts against Caitriona. The demon guard quickly reacted, blocking the attack with her own beams. Makoto was faster, though, breaking Caitriona's guard and striking her with a punch covered in lightning. Minako also surprised Adare, snaring the warrior's spear with her chain.

“Venus Crescent Beam!” Sailor Venus released a stream of light through the index finger of her right hand, hitting Adare's chest full-on. Their weapons untangle as they move away from each other.

“Good!” Adare said, content. “Make it more special for me, as I rip that smile from your face!”

“You're welcome to try!” Minako challenged, extending her chain, passing it through the palm of her hands. Adare dashed forward, attacking once more with her spear. Minako swiftly waved her chain using one hand, creating a barrier that blocked the attack. With a touch of her other hand, she gave the chain momentum that launched it against Adare's unguarded abdomen.

Caitriona gritted her teeth, realizing they had lost control of the situation. She charged a new wave of light beams, shooting them at Makoto. The girl spun around, creating blades of lightning that protected her against the demon guard's attack, but this time Sailor Jupiter couldn't find any breach to counter-attack. Makoto scanned the fighting ground, seeing that Minako was also in a standoff against Adare. The two Sailor Soldiers exchanged looks, plotting a way to end this fight once and for all.

Minako whipped her chain against Adare, locking her spear. Seeing that, Makoto was already preparing her attack by concentrating energy in her hands. She turned around, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Thunders fell from the sky, energizing the technique, as Sailor Jupiter shouted: “Supreme Thunder Dragon!” As stated by the name, the lightning assumed a draconian feature, hitting Adare and vanishing the demon guard.

Caitriona tried to take advantage from that situation, as Jupiter turned her back to her. A clean strike, it was all she needed to take the Sailor Soldier out. She collected a lot of energy in front of her, ready to launch it against Makoto, but was abruptly forced to dodge Adare's spear. Minako threw the weapon against her right after entangling it in her chain. As Caitriona jumped to the air, Sailor Venus took the chance to fire her own attack.

“Venus Love and Beauty Shock!” Minako hurled a giant heart, made of golden energy, at her enemy. Caitriona cried in pain, until she disappeared, leaving no trace. Both girls fell to the ground, exhausted by the battle. The main gate to the Crystal Palace opened before them.

“Mamoru...” Venus said, concerned. She felt Makoto's hand in her shoulder, and got up with the helping hand Sailor Jupiter offered. They both entered the Castle, seeing Mamoru, in his king's attire, lying on the ground, mortified.

“Mamoru!” Makoto yelled, as they both ran towards him. He didn't move, he barely reacted to their cry. They feared for his safety, and as soon they got near him, they could hear his mumbles, in a distressed voice.

“I failed them...” He had tears in his eyes. “I failed them all...” The two girls helped him get up, concerned for his state of mind. He stood up, trying to free himself from their hands, flailing his arms around, seriously disturbed. “Get off me!” He yelled.

“Mamoru!” Minako said in an authoritarian voice. “This is just a dream! You didn't fail anyone!”

“I know that!” What he said surprised Makoto and Minako. “We have been stuck here for what it seems to be weeks!” His voice was hoarse, his face seemed so worn out that he might have actually been fighting for weeks. The girls didn't seem to grasp what he was saying, though.

“We?” Makoto spoke, confused. “What do you mean, Mamoru?”

“Those two women.” He calmed down, for a moment. “They captured all of us.” The girls suddenly remembered the people they saw in the way to the castle. They really were the people bewitched alongside Mamoru in the real world. “They said they would use us and trap us inside one big dream. I tried to save us all, but I have been defeated... over and over again!”

“They were using your energy against yourself, Mamoru!” Minako tried to comfort the man, resting her hand in his shoulder. “They knew how to wear you out, and how to use your sense of responsibility so you'd be trapped here as long as they needed!”

“There is no shame in that!” Makoto added. “One of those monsters almost got Usagi! And even Rei and Ami had trouble fighting one of them by themselves! You fought two of them and managed to survive, and I bet you gave hope to the people trapped here with you!”

“You...” Mamoru contemplated the destructed scenario. His will was returning, as the palace seem tidier than moments before. “You are right!” They stepped outside, joined by the other trapped folks. The destroyed Crystal Tokyo gave place to the one constantly in Mamoru's Dreams, closer to the one they ventured in their adventures. The illusion was breaking, as they all started to wake up.

Makoto and Minako left the dream realm, arriving back in the busy avenue. They saw every possessed person they left behind getting up by themselves, back in control of their minds. Andrus was sitting by the sidewalk, with a few bruises. He seemed satisfied by seeing the girls returning, and also seeing Mamoru standing up, free from the Demon Guard's influence.

“Took you long enough!” Andrus teased them. “I tried not hurting anyone, like you said. But they weren't so kind!” He showed some of the bruises in his arm, pretending to be hurt worse than he actually was.

“You held us off pretty well, I see.” Mamoru was gentle in his words, fearing he would antagonize the boy without reason. He reached out his hand for Andrus, who shook it, proudly, after standing up. “I heard some good things about you, Homura.”

“Well.” Andrus felt awkward, ashamed even. “That's because you and your friends are way too kind!” He joked, nervously trying to divert the attention.

“Mamoru.” Minako was still pretty shaken about the whole trial they just had been through, but more than that, she was worried about Usagi. “What happened between you and Usagi?”

Mamoru sighed, his features closed in a distressed state. “She was so angry.” He said, depressed. “She said she wanted to destroy the Dream Reapers, that she would make each one of them pay for what they have done to her, and to you!” His hand rested against his forehead, as if he was still unable to believe what he heard. “I tried to calm her down, but she just got angrier. Saying that I should leave, if I wasn't going to help her. That's when I came looking for you!”

“That's very unlike her.” Minako was concerned. She heard from Rei and Ami that the Dream Reapers managed to control Usagi at one point, could it be that they didn't actually rescued their friend?

In her room, Usagi stood by the window, staring at the bright lights in the city, as the night fell. “They are all going to pay.” She said, in an angry voice. Luna couldn't believe her eyes. Never had she seen such wrath coming from Usagi. That innocent girl had been replaced by a vengeful woman. When she transformed into Sailor Moon, Luna was sure that something was wrong. It wasn't just the vengeful wrath consuming the girl, her own transformation seemed defiled by an evil force. Luna jumped outside the window, running to find the other Sailor Soldiers.

 

_Next: Old Moon Madness_


	6. 06 - Old Moon Madness

**06**

 

Luna ran desperately across town in search of the other Sailor Soldiers. She knew something wasn't right with Usagi, as the girl seemed possessed by a desire for vengeance against those who meddled with her dreams. That couldn't be Usagi's true wish: her gentle soul would never resort to retaliation.

She first went to Makoto's house, only to find it empty. Then she bolted to Minako's place, only to come across the same situation. The night had come, and there was no one in sight to help Luna. Ami's apartment was next, and Luna hoped that she could find the girl. She leaped over the gate guarding the building, entering the halls and climbing the stairs up to Ami's floor. Luna didn't know if the mother was home, but she knew she should take that risk. With a small jump, she manages to press the doorbell, anguished as it took a long time for her to sense any movement in the house. “At least someone's home!” She thought to herself. Ami opened the door, and Luna dashed inside the house, hurrying to the girl's bedroom, as a safety measure.

“Luna!” Ami joined her in the room, closing the door behind her. “What's wrong?”

“It's Usagi!” She said, terrified. “She is on a rampant, Ami!” The girl picked up the trembling cat, trying to calm her down. Luna wouldn't stand still, though, jumping to Ami's bed. “Call the other girls! We need them as soon as possible!”

“What's going on, Luna?” Confusion took hold of Ami, as she strongly believed Usagi was safe and sound since their last encounter with the Dream Reapers. 

“Ever since she came back, she had been acting weird!” An urging sensation crossed Luna's mind, as she tried to explain the situation as fast as she could. “We all thought it was because of the trauma, and that eventually she would shrug it off. But even through her darkest moments, I have never seen Usagi so vengeful! She is talking about actually hunting down the Dream Reapers and destroying them, Ami! You should have seen her eyes!”

“Could it be?” Ami thought to herself, deeply concerned. “Could Usagi still be under the influence of our enemies? And if she were, why would that make her hunt them down?” She didn't have time for wild guesses, as she picked up her phone and started reaching her friends. Rei promptly picked up, agreeing to meet her downtown. 

Makoto and Minako were already there, gathering in a coffee shop with Andrus and Mamoru after the whole experience with Adare and Caitriona. They have been discussing what had happened, trying to understand their enemies and their tactics.

“First they possessed that one kid that attacked Ami in the chess club, using his body to come to the real world.” Andrus said, while drinking some coffee. “At the same time they controlled the minds of some dudes in my class, but didn't possess them.”

“Rei was attacked by a Dream Reaper that didn't need to enter her dreams.” Minako joined, concentrated in the recollection. “But I have the impression that the demon guard thought Rei was ready to be possessed, so it could have been something like Sanada's possession, right?”

“Looks like it.” Mamoru was listening carefully, as he had just experienced what was like encountering the Dream Reapers. “And you said, Andrus, that the Sakurai girl was trapped inside her dream, while the demon guard controlled her body, much like happened to Usagi when she was attacked, and with me.”

“Yeah.” He finished his cup of coffee, sadly contemplating the bottom of the cup. “But they were all in different levels, right? With Sakurai, she didn't have much extraordinary power. With Usagi, she could float and attack much like Scáthach would. And you were trapped in a single dream with a lot of people.”

“They seem to be getting stronger.” Minako realized. She bit her lip in an attempt to cope with her worries, but the situation seemed to be getting out of hand. Her cellphone rang, and by seeing Ami's name and picture on the screen, she promptly answered. “Ami?” She said with a smile, as she saw Andrus immediately bugging his eyes, correcting his posture as if Ami could see him. “We are at the coffee shop, downtown. We fought some of those demon guard's you and Rei were talking about.”

“Stay there!” Ami said, troubled. Minako's smile faded as she realized something was wrong. “I'll warn Rei and we'll be joining you. Usagi might need our help!”

As the blue soldier hung up, Minako had a serious look upon her face. She wouldn't fail Usagi this time. She wouldn't be left behind. Soon enough Rei arrived, followed by Ami and Luna. Andrus gawked seeing Luna being held inside Ami's purse, petting her as they sat with them, trying not to distract her too much as they updated Ami and Rei to what had just happened to them, and Ami and Luna told the others about Usagi's ordeal.

“We should go to Usagi's house!” Rei said, hearing the whole story. “Before she does something she will regret!”

“But if she already transformed” Mamoru intervened, knowing they had to be the most efficient in that moment. “It's unlikely that she would be home at this moment. How on Earth would she be able to track down the Dream Reapers?”

“She can walk into dreams!” Ami gasped, realizing that Usagi, much like her and Rei, transformed inside the dream. “Her Silver Crystal must have changed when she used her powers inside her dream, much like it happened to mine.” She showed her transformation item, proving it really was different from its original state. “And yours must have changed as well!” The girls picked their transformation pen, confirming Ami's theory as they saw that each one had subtle changes in their design. 

“So what you're saying is that she must be inside someone's dreams?” Luna asked, reaching the table height. 

“It's still early in the night.” Andrus looked at his watch. “But I'm sure there are a lot of potential entrances for Usagi.”

“I have an idea.” The serious tone in Ami's voice made everyone in the table dead silent. They could see in her eyes that she was focused, probably thinking in every detail of her new plan, tinkering and plotting as she spoke. “If Usagi intends to hop inside people's dreams to find the Dream Reapers, this is the best time to follow her. As Andrus said, there are a lot of potential entrances, but they are probably the lowest number we'll have in the whole nighttime. We have to give chase, as quickly as possible, if we want to find Usagi!”

“She's right!” Luna completed, as the girls stood up, ready to follow. “Let's get our girl back!” No one seemed to move, though. Andrus smirked, standing up as well.

“You have no idea of where or how to start, right?” He said, teasing, while leaving money on the table to cover the tab. He grabbed his wooden sword, attaching it to his back by a string. “Guess I can't say that I'm obsolete yet!”

“Well...” Ami felt embarrassed for overlooking that major part of her plan. “How are we going to find an entrance?”

“First of all, let's go to a place more private.” He said, waving his hand. They were suddenly on top of the Juuban High School building. 

“What?” Rei spoke startled, looking around her. “How did we get here?” The boy just laughed, as with a new sleight of hand they were in the inner halls of the building.

“You're thinking too much about it.” Andrus enjoyed the confusion in the girls' faces. “But it's not exactly your fault. Every time you entered a dream, there was someone in danger, which we used as access to the dream realm. The thing is: we don't need that to enter, it was just the fastest way to reach that person.”

“You mean we are actually inside the dream realm?” Minako was amazed, looking all around her. It didn't feel that much different from the real world, but there was something off. She felt like the floor had no consistency, often feeling softer, sometimes feeling harder.

“It's just scenery.” The boy added, changing the landscape once more, this time to something that looked like a library, but much bigger. Instead of book shelves, though, there were doors. “Since I'm the one who brought you here, I get to choose how it will look. This will be our starting point.”

As the girls grasped the concept, they changed to their Sailor Soldiers attire. The crystals etched in the transformation pens gleamed bright, as if they were scanning for their princess. They were almost ready, as Andrus took the lead once more:

“Each one of this doors is the representation of a dream.” All of them seemed to understand, as they saw some new doors appearing, and others fading away. “Once you're inside, you have to be careful. You are entering someone's mind, and you're bound to their rules. Ami, you take command.” He said, surprising her. She nodded, affirmatively, before speaking.

“All right!” She took the reins, confident in her plan. “Let's split in three teams: Makoto and Rei; Minako, Luna and Mamoru; Andrus and I.” They all seemed to agree with her choices, standing next to their pair. “Whoever finds Usagi, bring her back to the real world. If you happen to find a Dream Reaper, only use combat as a last resort!”

“Right!” They said, as they stood in front of one of the oniric doors. “For Usagi!” Mamoru opened one of the entrances, stepping inside with Minako and Luna. Rei and Makoto did the same, followed by Andrus and Ami. 

 

Sailor Mercury and Andrus walked side by side, through what seemed to be a glass tunnel. Bright halos glowed as they traveled, making a beautiful pattern besides them.

“I'm actually nervous, Andrus.” There was anxiety in Ami's voice, as they were reaching the end of the glass passageway. “I rarely lead us in all those years. What if my plan fails?”

“Look.” He said, staring at her. “You're a smart girl, okay? You planned this properly. You thought about it extensively since you figured Usagi's plan. And as much as I'd like to think that you have a predilection for my company, I figured out how you actually paired each of us. That's why you sent Luna with Minako and Mamoru.”

“I tried to pair someone who had just fought Adare and Caitriona with someone who hadn't. But it was impossible. So Luna went with Minako and Mamoru, in a way to compensate it.”

“That was an amazing way to think, Ami! Don't ever doubt yourself!” He praised Ami, as he thought it was absurd that she would think otherwise. He had his hand on a handle in the end of that corridor that should give them access to the dream they entered. “All your friends are very capable, if they followed your plan it was only because they thought it was worthy!”

She felt better, holding the boy's hand as she got closer, preventing him from opening the door before she could thank him. “I really appreciate it, Andrus!” His confidence on Ami was enough for her to believe as well. “I knew I did at least something right when I paired us together!” He looked at her, his heart was pounding heavily. She looked at him, only then realizing how what she said must have sounded. They were both blushing beyond reason, until an explosion brought them back to their act. It came from the other side of the door. The duo turned the handle, together, stepping inside in a haste.

They were inside a war zone, it appeared. Air Force jets were dog fighting up in the air, as the sound of the machine guns roared through the city torn apart. They hid behind a demolished construction, trying to figure out if there was any indication of Usagi's presence.

“There's got to be something wrong around here!” Ami said, disturbed by the realism as she didn't expect such a dream. “Look at that!” She pointed at a tank, firing careless against a building. 

“Maybe we are in the dream of some war aficionado!” He saw a single soldier running around, desperate to find shelter. Andrus stalked him for a while, intercepting him and pulling him to the ground, behind the building they were hiding. “Hello, sir!” He said. The frightened man tried to draw a gun at Andrus, who stepped on his hand, keeping him from doing so. “We just want to talk.”

“We're looking for a friend of ours.” Ami added gently, not entirely on board with Andrus' tactics. “Blond hair with two pigtails in an odango shape on each side of her head. Dressed in a costume similar to mine.”

“Oh!” The man said, calming down. “You mean Sailor Moon?” He appeared excited, as he spoke. Ami and Andrus felt lucky, as it appeared the man could really help them. “She was here just a few moments ago. She asked me something concerning this reapers fellows. She seemed pretty disturbed when I said I knew nothing about it, and then she just left.”

Andrus snapped his tongue, annoyed, as he stood up. It was too good to be true, after all.

“What's wrong?” Sailor Mercury asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“I thought we were fortunate to find a clue, but if she already left, she could have gone anywhere!” He kicked a rock, quite enraged. 

“Take it easy!” Ami said, concerned. “Let's not lose hope!” She was relieved as she saw Andrus sighing, and his shoulders relaxing. His hands laid in his waist, as he turned around to her.

“You're right.” Andrus spoke softly, trying to stay positive. “Where do we go now?” A couple of doors appeared, revealing passages to other dreams. As Ami got closer, her crystal reacted, pointing at one of them. She remembered the time they faced Scáthach, when her gem also guided Rei and her to Usagi. She called Andrus over, excited about the new clue. “Way to go, Ami!” He said, as they moved towards the door. 

As they got closer, the door was covered by a pitch black substance, that soon gave form to the impish monster of the Dream Reapers: Bakhtak. He laughed in his typical lunatic shriek as he gazed upon Ami, menacing.

“So, we meet again!” He said to Ami, completely ignoring her company. “I said I'd kill you the next time we met!” His hand is filled with the mauve energy Ami faced before, forming his burning blade. “You look pretty, for a dead person!”

 

In a different dream, Makoto and Rei walked through what it seemed to be a farm with mountains in the horizon. It looked like a live painting. Horses passed by them, and all sorts of farm animals could be seen in the distance. As they saw a woman closing the gates of a barn, they approached her, trying to see if they could gather some clue.

“Excuse us!” Makoto shouted, waving energetically. The woman was caught off-guard, but didn't appear to be startled. “We are looking for a friend, maybe you have seen her?”

“Well, hello!” The woman politely greeted the two girls. “Are you talking about Sailor Moon?” Rei and Makoto were astonished, as they didn't expect that directness. “I figured you're looking for her because you girls are dressed the same.” She proudly said, as the girls stared at their clothes, then shyly smiled at the woman.

“She has been here, then?” Rei asked, excited.

“Yes, she has!” The woman spoke in a contagiously delighted manner. “She asked me about some Dream Reapers. By the way she looked, they seem dangerous!”

“They are! We are here to help her with those monsters!” Makoto said fiercely. “Where has Sailor Moon gone?”

“She left after I told her I never heard anything about those Dream Reapers. She was really upset!” The woman frowned, disappointed. 

“Can you tell us which way she went after you told her that?” Rei asked, hoping it could help them in any way.

“She went to the woods, my dears!” The woman pointed, as a pretty trail leading to the forest appeared before their eyes. “I hope you find her!”

“Thanks!” The two girls ran through the path, as fast as they could. Entering the woods, they started to sense something unusual, as if they were being watched by someone. They held their steps, as a sudden warmth surprised them. 

“What's happening?” Makoto turned to Rei, who was as confused as her friend. They noticed brightness far away from them, lighting up the woods, as the wave of warmth got stronger.

“The forest is burning!” Rei realized, trying to go back. Makoto followed, but the two girls halted as they saw blazes of fire knocking the trees and blocking their way. A loud laugh could be heard, coming from the fire, as a feminine figure stepped out of it.

“So, you're Sailor Mars!” It was Cendrillion, the woman covered in ashes. “And I have been beating myself up for loosing to a simple shrine maiden! Oh, if only I knew!” Rei gritted her teeth, immediately drawing her bow. “I won't take it easy this time!” Cendrillion shouted, with a vicious look, launching fireballs all over the woods. Rei and Makoto evaded the attack, but were trapped by the fire. Sailor Mars shot an arrow covered in flames against Cendrillion, but the woman absorbed it as if it was nothing to worry about, much to Rei's dismay. 

“Don't be silly, little girl!” Cendrillion taunted, floating in mid-air. “There's no way you can beat me with fire!”

“And what about thunder?” Makoto uttered those words, charging a great amount of energy in her hands. The lightning took the form of a disc, which Makoto threw towards Cendrillion. “Sparkling Wide Pressure!”

The armored woman was forced to dodge, giving the chance for a new attack from Sailor Mars. She focused all her energies, putting her hands together with the index fingers pointing up. A ring of fire surrounded Rei and focused on her hands as soon as she opened them, turning into eight smaller rings that fired successively against Cendrillion's back. “Burning Mandala!” The attack hit the enemy with full force, but she seemed unshaken.

“I told you!” She turned around, savagely glaring at Sailor Mars. “You can't beat me with fire!” She launched a new wave of fireballs against Rei, that leaped to the side, in an attempt to escape her attack.

“Supreme Thunder!” With her index and pinky fingers extended in each hand, Makoto crossed her arms over her chest. Crackling with electricity, her arms charged and released a giant wave of lightning that hit Cendrillion and sent her to the ground, dazed by the attack.

“Mars Snake Fire!” Rei wouldn't give a chance for her to recover, creating a fiery serpent that crossed the ground, chasing the armored woman. As Cendrillion jumped to escape, she also made a terrible mistake, standing in the aim of Makoto, who fired a blast of leaves charged with electricity, an attack known as _Jupiter Oak Revolution._ The leaves cut through the woman's armor, making her vulnerable for a new attack. Rei was already pulling her fiery arrow, and with a shout she announced her attack. “Mars Flame Sniper!” The arrow flew across the air, hitting Cendrillion in the crack of the armor, igniting the ashes and consuming the woman, who cried in pain, until she was no more.

The forest fire suddenly went out, revealing a clearance with a bright door, much like the one they used to get to that dream. Rei realized that her crystal began reacting, as if it tried to locate Usagi. When Makoto got closer, her crystal responded the same way. They were closer to finding her friend, as they reached the door handle. Suddenly, a new door appeared, and their crystals now pointed towards the new door. Usagi had jumped into a new dream.

 

Minako, Mamoru and Luna walked through a carnival, it appeared. A lot of stands with different games and prizes were displayed across the festival. Mamoru was already in his Tuxedo Mask garb, knowing they could be attacked at any moment. A red fox with five tails crossed their way, staring at them for a long while, before swiftly fleeing.

“Did you just see that?” Minako asked, dazzled. She tried to follow the fox, but it had simply disappeared. Mamoru and Luna accompanied the girl, but they didn't seemed as impressed.

“That's Nogitsune!” A woman's voice caught the attention of the trio. It was coming from a fortune teller's stand. They approached her, only to find Naru Osaka, one of Usagi's close friends, running the stand. “But sometimes she likes to be called Reynard.”

“Naru!” Minako was shocked upon discovering whom that dream belonged to. “Do you know that fox?”

“She's not simply a fox, Minako!” Naru seemed to be able to see through the magical power covering Sailor Venus true identity. “She's a trickster, she'll assume many identities to prank people.” An old man passed through the crowd. He wore a white linen suit, with a hat. He strutted between Minako and Mamoru, staring at both of them, before disappearing. 

“That was the fox, I assume.” Mamoru said, trying to figure out that extraordinary situation. “The man with white hat?”

“You mean the man with the black hat.” Minako spoke, correcting her friend.

“I'm pretty sure it was a white hat.”

“It was black!” Minako seemed flustered with Mamoru's stubbornness, as Naru simply laughed. “What?”

“He must be overjoyed that he caught you. He's been trying to trick me for weeks, but always complains that his magic doesn't work on me.” Naru watched the old man hiding behind a stand, laughing as he saw the confusion upon the trio.

“Is he a Dream Reaper?” Mamoru was running out of patience, crossing his arms. “Can I beat him?”

“WHAT?” The old man said, turning into a tall, slender clown with purple hair, long and thin jaw, yellow bugged eyes. “Do I look like a psycho to you?”

“Kinda.” Minako cried, terrified. She really hoped he wasn't the enemy, as he freaked her out.

“I'm a trickster, for god's sake!” He turned back to a fox, but this time he had only one tail. “Dream Reapers wished they could be like me! As for beating me, give your best shot, Endymion. Even your dream walker friend had trouble when we faced each other.”

“You fought Andrus?” The trickster caught Minako's attention, that crouched so she could hear him better.

“A long time ago. If you can call that a fight.” The fox gloated, with a smirk in his face.

“Naru, have you seen Usagi?” Mamoru started to think that they were only wasting time with the trickster. “Has she been around here somehow?”

“You mean Sailor Moon.” Nogitsune said, in a serious tone. “She is not here, my friend. But she is coming our way.”

“How do you know that?” Minako asked, worried. 

“The Dream Reapers' leader have cast a terrible curse upon the Moon Princess. You have to intercept her, and don't let her come here.”

 

“What do you mean?” Andrus asked the Bakhtak in an angry voice. He had his wooden sword pointed to the fallen imp, he was able to hit him by surprise, knocking him down while the monster was distracted by Ami.

“You laid all the pieces we needed, dream walker.” The creature spilled those words, satisfied. “When you brought her body to the dream realm, and it fused with her oniric self, it was the perfect setup for Scáthach to lay down the Róisín Dubh's curse!” He laughed, barely containing his excitement. “The vengeance your Moon Princess seeks makes her hop into a lot of dreams, searching for us, powering the rose. Eventually, we'll have enough energy to resurrect our beautiful leader!” 

“Sailor Mercury!” Andrus shouted, tightening his grip around the wooden sword's handle. “We need to get through this monster!”

“Right!” She positioned herself, while Andrus waved his sword in attempts to hit the Bakhtak, who easily dodged. The duo fought in a coordinated way, as Ami used the breaches Andrus opened in the monster's guard. She hit the Bakhtak with all she had, knocking the monster out with a beautiful kick driven by her water powers, after a discharge of a torrent of waves. The couple rushed to the oniric door, and when they were about to turn the handle, it disappeared, leaving them confused.

“What?” Ami asked, as Andrus turned her around. A new door had appeared behind them, to which the Crystal reacted. “Andrus, let's go!” They grabbed the handle, entering without hesitating.

 

Mamoru and Minako were surprised by the arrival of Makoto and Rei, and soon after Ami and Andrus The group exchanged looks, confused. Naru just whistled, careless, as she saw Nogitsune fleeing, that time for good.

“And here I was, expecting a reunion!” Naru said, attracting everyone's attention. “Wow! You guys are tense, huh?” She was clueless about their reasons and journey, going back to her business as the fortune teller of her own world. 

“The Crystal lead us here!” Ami protested, wondering if they had been fooled by the Dream Reapers. Rei and Makoto had the same reaction, angered as they thought those monsters could have tricked them once more. Minako's face was of pure sorrow, when she realized why everyone arrived there.

“Usagi is here!” She said, scanning the landscape as she looked for their princess. A bright light appeared from above, as the group could see Sailor Moon's silhouette hovering over them. Her hair was completely black, indicating that she had already gathered the energy the Dream Reaper's needed. Nogitsune was right, after all. Usagi's arrival really meant their doom. Oniric doors appeared from all sides, giving way to Adare, Bakhtak, Caitriona, Cendrillion, Chenelle and even Scáthach.

“The Dream Reapers!” Makoto wouldn't even give much thought, attacking as soon as she saw them, but the demon guards and the imp casually dodged the attack, as they floated beside Usagi, dismissing the Sailor Soldiers completely. Sailor Moon seemed to be in a trance, as she ignored the enemies all around her. The Dream Reapers reached their hands towards Usagi, draining energy from her in a fast pace. The girl didn't seem to mind. The Sailor Soldiers tried to attack the enemies, but a barrier solidified around them. The figure of a woman started materializing in front of Usagi.

“Sailor Jupiter!” Andrus shouted, running towards her. “Give me a boost!” He said, as he jumped. Makoto gave support to his feet with her hands, launching him up in a volley against the mysterious woman. The boy brandished his sword, trying to hit the new enemy, but was grabbed by his neck before he could even react. A woman in a white dress, with short white hair, held Andrus, staring at him with unsettling eyes. He could see what appeared to be galaxies forming and ceasing their existence in that woman's eyes. She threw him back on the ground, while a sickening smile crossed her features. 

“Sine has returned!” The Bakhtak chanted, as he clapped his hands, euphoric.

“Sine has returned!” The demon guards responded, all gazing admired at their leader.

Usagi, at this point fell unconscious, being carried by Sine as the leader of the Dream Reapers hovered down at the Sailor Soldier's direction. Her arrogant countenance was unsettling, but as long as she held Sailor Moon, the girls hesitated to make any move.

“You're afraid.” Sine spoke, in a warm, soft voice. “I can feel it from here!” She gloated, satisfied. “You have all been a thorn in my path, but I hold no grudge against you.” When she saw Andrus trying to get up, she stepped in his back, holding him down. “Except for you, dream walker!” Her eyes struck him with fury. “You dared to defy me! You will suffer the most!” Naru's dream realm started to crumble, as Sine's smiled, confidently. “Enjoy this gift I give to you, Sailor Soldiers!” Their bodies felt strange as a flash of images crossed their eyes: People from their past, but in situations they didn't recognized. Places and events, all different from what they could remember. 

Then there was darkness. Followed by a bright light. Everything changed.

 

Andrus was lying on the ground. His nose was bleeding. “They really punched my lights out!” The boy thought, as he tried to get up, feeling groggy. He was dressed in his uniform, the sleeves folded up to his elbows, the jacket unbuttoned, and the bandages covering his arms were all too familiar. He saw the trio of boys that he had picked up a fight with mocking him, one of them kicking him to the ground once more.

“Don't you ever get in our way again, you freak!” The boy said, grabbing him by his shirt collar.

“Stop wasting your time with this moron, Sanada!” One of the other boys said. “We have the kendo club to attend!” They laughed, as they left the boy sitting against one of the school walls. Other students would pass, pointing at him, whispering, judging. All of which he had grown accustomed to.

“Another trip to the nurse's office.” He said to himself, as he stood up. He had recently transferred to Juuban High School, but already had gotten in much more trouble than he intended to. He arrived at the nurse's office, holding his head up so he would spill less blood. “I need a patch up, nurse Nanako.” He said, as he opened the door.

“Again, Homura?” The nurse angrily responded, as she approached. “A broken nose this time, huh?” She touched his nose, confirming the fracture as he flinched with the sharp pain. “Sit on the bed, I'll fix you.” She moved his long hair to the side, so she could use the swabs to drain the blood. Andrus seemed troubled, as he tried to remember if he always had long hair. After the nurse ended the treatment, she left the boy with a gauze covering the injured area as to attend another person that had just arrived.

“Nurse Nanako?” Andrus recognized that voice. He peeked at who was coming inside, seeing a beautiful girl, with short blue hair, and a gentle smile. A nostalgic feeling crossed his heart, but he couldn't figure out why. The girl asked for headache pills, and left the room just as quickly as she entered.

“Nurse.” The boy yelled, astonished. “Who was that girl?”

“Oh, her?” Nanako smiled, as she noticed the boy's face flushing. “That was Ami Mizuno. Top student in this school. You would know if you attended a single class! If I'm not mistaken, you two are classmates!”

“She's beautiful!” Andrus felt a pain in his heart, as if it was trying to tell him something was wrong. Images flashed through his eyes, and he wouldn't stop shaking, frightening the zealous nurse. He covered his head, anguished, in pain. All his memories had returned. He remembered the Sailor Soldiers, the Dream Reapers, he remembered Sine and her threats, the evolution in the demon guard's methods, finally figuring out what she meant: They were all trapped in a dream, where everything's changed.

 

_Next: A Song for While I'm Away_

 


	7. 07 - A Song for While I'm Away

**07**

 

Andrus dashed from the nurse's office, ignoring her pleads for him to come back. He wandered the halls of the school, looking for Ami, bumping into a lot of other students. He reached the outsides of the school, trying to find the girl. He saw the trio that had beaten him up, and as they left, Ami and a good looking young man could be seen, talking. He halted, as they smiled and laughed. Andrus managed to see the bag in his shoulder, one that he knew  too  well: he carried a  _shinai_ with him, a sword made out of bamboo strips. That brown haired boy with a gentle smile was also a member of the kendo club, it appeared. Andrus approached, flustered and careless.

“Ami!” He grabbed her arm, without thinking. “Are you alright?” She flailed her arm, forcing him to let go, with a terrified look on her face.

“Get off me!” She said, backing away. “What do you want?” The boy who accompanied Ami stepped in Andrus' way, as a mean to protect her.

“Ami, I...” He got shoved by the brown haired boy, who prevented him to get closer.

“Urawa-kun!” She said to the young man, reaching his shoulder. “Don't get into trouble! They say this _yankee_ is dangerous!”

“What?” Andrus felt his world falling down. The mix of disgust and fear in Ami's face left him lost. He felt a rage building inside of him as Urawa pushed him once more, but managed to get a hold of himself.

“Don't worry, Ami!” Urawa said, looking menacingly at Andrus. “He is just a bully!” The two boys' stares clashed. As intimidating as Andrus could be, it wasn't enough for Urawa to budge. The red haired boy backed away, retreating as soon as he saw the trio that beat him earlier coming back. 

“That was scary, Urawa-kun!” She said, grabbing his arm.

“He's all bark, but no bite, Ami-chan!” He stroked her hair gently, as they walked away. “I'll have to go to kendo practice. But I'll keep my phone on me, if that creep even gets near you, you call me and I'll be there in a hurry!” He kissed her cheek, as he went to meet his colleagues.

“Ryo, I...” She meant to stop him, but he was already out of reach. She had this _bento_ box, with food she cooked herself, tidily wrapped up for him. She sighed, sadly recognizing that the boy would be too busy.

She sat by herself at the bleachers near the soccer field, opening the box and eating the  _onigiri_ , the rice balls, she made with such care. She gave thought to the incident involving the Homura delinquent, still unsure as to what would a boy that had just transferred want with her. That was a scary episode, that was for sure, and she was glad that her boyfriend was there to aid her. She thought about Urawa, and all her worries seemed to wane.

 

Andrus was devastated, as he strolled around the town. He visited the coffee shop where they discussed the aftermath of Adare and Caitriona's battle, but there was nobody he knew there. He was angry, and the bitterness got in the way every time he tried to figure out a way to break Sine's spell. He already tried to step out of the dream using his powers, but something was keeping him from doing so, as if they had just vanished. He punched the shop's window, frustrated. The loud noise attracted a lot of attention, but the boy didn't seem to mind. “It's all a dream, anyway.” He moved along, still trying to figure a way out.

He came across an unusual gathering in front of a building that caught his attention. “ _The soldier of love_ ” was written in a large banner. “ _looking for musicians”_ He could read below the title. In the corner, a picture of Minako got Andrus by surprise. “Wait...what?” He thought to himself, unable to control his chuckles. “She's an idol in this realm?” He joined a queue for what appeared to be auditions, in the hopes that Minako would recognize him.

“Saving the world, one spot of the queue at a time!” Andrus thought, bored out of his mind. He considered quitting and searching for the other girls; he thought of cutting in the line, but he knew it would get him trouble. He thought of Ami, and his determination came back so he could endure the long wait. An hour passed, as his time to audition finally came. He is directed to a white room, with only a man in a suit, sitting in a chair. The room had some amplifiers, a drum, but no sign of Minako.

“I...” Andrus was confused, looking for the Sailor Soldier. “I thought this was the audition to play with the girl from the banner...”

“Of course, young man!” The suited man laughed, amused. “She is in the building, but we won't make her sing for every single one in the line, right?”

“Oh!” The boy realized it made sense, putting his hands in his pocket. “So I'll meet her if I get the gig, right?”

“Well, yes.” The man was polite, but seemed cautious with Andrus. “Although I have to say fanboys like you usually don't have what it takes.” The boy was the one laughing now, picking up a guitar from the wall, a white Les Paul. 

“I'm no fanboy, old man!” He plugged the guitar, turning on the amp. “But I'm getting this gig, I can tell you that!” The boy was so confident that the man hesitated to put on the song. He pushed a button, and it started. Andrus couldn't figure out what that song was supposed to be. He scanned the fretboard with his eyes, listening to the song, risking a few stray notes. The song ended, and the man sighed, disappointed.

“I thought you really had it in you, boy!” He stood up, as he meant to pick up the guitar.

“No, wait!” The red haired boy said, pointing at the man. “I just never heard that song before, but now I'll get it!” He sounded so determined that the suited man gave thought to his pleads, putting the song once more. This time he managed to have a better performance, hitting some of the right notes, adding a few guitar licks that sounded better, but overall it was a complete failure. 

“That was something!” They heard Minako's voice, as she just had arrived in the room. “I never thought I would see someone so unprepared in an audition!”

“Ah, Mina!” The man said, surprised to see her there. “When did you arrive?”

“Hey, Artemis!” She said, cheerfully. “I was listening to what it seemed to be someone torturing a cat.” She teased, looking at Andrus. “If you didn't even know the songs, why did you bother to try?”

“I don't know!” He answered, constrained, putting the guitar down. “Have you ever had a dream that, if you were confident enough, you could do anything you wanted?” 

“What is that? Some kind of self-help attitude?” She laughed, sitting on Artemis' chair. “I'm not into that kind of books, you know!”

“I wouldn't know.” He talked in a calm voice, trying to find the right words to say to her. “I met you just the other day.”

“Oh, did we already meet?” She smirked, trying to remember. “I'm sorry, I have many fans!”

“I was with Ami, we met you in the Hikawa Shrine, and you and Makoto left because you felt bad about Usagi!”

“I'm not following. Who's Ami? And Makoto?” The girl shrugged, clueless to what he was speaking. Still, she couldn't understand why she felt so uneasy. “You must have me confused for someone else.”

“Does Sailor Venus ring any bell?” He felt hopeless, as she appeared even more baffled.

“Are you alright?” She got near, looking curiously at him. “Did you hit your head or something?” He sighed, bothered as his efforts seemed futile. Artemis, on the other hand, was getting nervous with the questioning.

“Let me ask you something.” His eyes gleamed with the thought of a new strategy. “For how long have you been a singer?” Artemis got closer to the boy, grabbing his arm. Minako had a disturbed look in her face, as she couldn't think of an answer.

“Okay, that's it!” He shoved Andrus, trying to get him out of the audition room. “Security!” Artemis yelled for help.

“How many albums did you release, Sailor Venus? Where was your first show?” Andrus shouted, as he was dragged outside. He got thrown out, landing on his face. He stood up, beating the dirt out of his clothes. “Well, that one worked out like a charm.” He thought, walking away.

“I'm sorry for that, Mina!” Artemis said, worried. The girl had her hand pressing against her head, deeply distressed by the boy's questions. “I thought I had screened out all the wackos and nutjobs!”

“Where was my first show, Artemis?” She asked, staring at the man. 

“It was in a live house in _Harajuku_ , remember?”He casually spoke, adjusting his tie. “You were the opening act, and it was only yourself with a guitar, singing to a small crowd. Come on, don't let that weirdo get to you, Mina!” He left the room, bothered by the whole ordeal. As Minako found herself alone in the audition room, she picked the Les Paul guitar, unable to hit a single chord from one of her songs. A subtle crack in the sky appeared, but no one would be able to notice it.

 

It started raining. Andrus decided to head back home, as all his attempts proved to be worthless. He stepped up his pace as the rain got stronger, seeing his dojo in the distance. He stood by the porch upon arriving, as he looked for the key to the main gate in his backpack.

“Can I help you?” Andrus looked up to see who spoke in that rude tone, only to find Ryo Urawa standing right next to him, closing his umbrella. It made complete sense: if the boy was part of the kendo club, there was always the chance that he would train at the Homura dojo, as it was one of the most prestigious in the region.

“Well, you can get out of the way so I can open the gate!” Andrus grumbled, still looking for the key. His face turned red when he saw Urawa opening the doorway with a key chain much like the one he had. 

“Okay!” He grabbed Ryo by the collar, pushing him against the door. “What are you trying to pull here, pretty boy?”

“Get off me!” Urawa crossed his arms, grabbing Andrus' hands. “Now!” With a strong pull, he managed to force the delinquent to release him. 

“Why do you have my key chain?” Andrus struggled with his anger, as he needed answers. It was the only thing preventing him from launching himself against that boy's neck.

“You mean my key chain!” He put the keys back to his pocket. “Why are you here, yankee?” Andrus finally spotted the banner above the door, which read _Urawa Ryu Kendo._ He felt like his blood had just frozen, realizing even his dojo was taken from him. 

“I'm here...” Andrus couldn't think, he had trouble breathing as he was overwhelmed by his anxiety. Sine's punishment was way harder than he had assumed. “I'm here to challenge you! A kendo match for that sign!” He pointed at the doorway, desperate. 

“Don't be silly, to get that sign you would have to defeat any one that rose to your challenge! I could easily let you fight all of our students, and take you out when you are tired.”

“But you won't do that.” Andrus spoke in a sharp voice, trying to get to Ryo's nerves. “You are still pissed that I talked to that girl, aren't you? You want to prove to yourself that I'm 'all bark, but no bite', right?” Once more they stared down at each other, neither of them budging. Ryo sighed, entering the dojo.

“Let's see what you are made of, then!” Ryo dropped his backpack by the entrance, followed by Andrus. Urawa dressed up in the protective plate for his chest, and the gloves widely used for kendo practice, while his adversary only picked up a shinai hanging on the wall. “Don't complain if you get really hurt, Homura!” Ryo advised, seeing that Andrus wasn't wearing any protection. 

“Shut up and fight!” The delinquent took the _Homura Ryu_ stance, which differed from the standard kendo as the attacks were mostly based on thrusts. He held the shinai in an almost perpendicular position to his body, close to his head, separating his legs in a manner to boost his thrusting speed. It was a fighting style that dated from the _Bakumatsu_ period, created by a member of the _Shinsengumi_ that was Andrus' ancestor. It was a powerful style, and Andrus was a surrogate teacher. He had his reasons for being confident. Ryo took a more orthodox stance, but his concentration were second to none. Both boys breathed heavily, looking for a breach. 

Andrus took the initiative, feigning a thrust but changing it midway to a side blow. Ryo defended in a nick of time, surprising the substitute master. In a swift move of his feet, Urawa stood next to Andrus, hitting his side with a hard blow. The yankee is forced to take a step back, trying to catch his breath. His vision becomes blurred, as he almost passed out.

“Not as easy as playing guitar, is it?” Urawa provoked, surprising Andrus. He knew about the audition. The red haired boy's mind raced, as he wondered what could that mean. Was Urawa one of the Dream Reapers? Was he some kind of safeguard in that dream realm? He stood up once more, changing his stance, pointing the shinai down. “What is that, have you given up already?” Ryo attacked, to which Andrus spun around, evading his attack and positioning himself close enough that Urawa wouldn't be able to hit him. He twisted his wrist, hitting Ryo's stomach with the hilt tip of the shinai, knocking him down.

“Don't underestimate the _Homura Ryu_!” There was anger in his tone, as he stepped back, letting Ryo stand up. The score was tied, with one hit to each of the contestants. The next blow would decide the winner. They charged against each other, the purest form of kendo presented in their skills, a succession of blows cut through the air. The shinais clashed, and Andrus' dexterity proved to be superior, as he ducked one of Urawa's attacks and rose in an ascending slash hitting his adversary once more, knocking him out. 

He was breathless. That fight was much harder than he had anticipated. He dropped the shinai, walking towards Ryo, who was regaining consciousness. “I won't take the dojo sign, Urawa-san.” He spoke in a respectful voice. “I fought you out of jealousy and anger, but you gave me something that I didn't expected.” Andrus realized that the boy couldn't be one of the Dream Reapers. He hasn't been able to defeat them on his own, but he could feel that his victory made a dent in that dream realm. When Ryo hit him, he almost got knocked out, and for a single moment he could see through Sine's illusion. There was a way out. It was up to him to find it. The crack in the sky got bigger, even though Andrus was unaware of it.

As soon as he stepped out of the dojo, upon feeling the rain on his face, he realized that there was no place for him to go in this world. He stood by the street for hours, unable to move as that thought wouldn't leave his mind.

 

It was morning. The Hikawa Shrine made for a beautiful scenario, with the dew and the remains of the last night's rain blended together. Rei woke up earlier that day, as it was her father's last day in town before he had to leave for political appointments. Her relation with her parent couldn't be better, as he finally eased up on his workaholic behavior, managing his time so he would visit her at least three times a month. He always talked about arranging a marriage for her, in a way to boost his career, but he had finally settled for Rei to be the owner of her own destiny, without any resentment. She swept the temple's yard with a huge smile on her face, nothing could sour her mood. And then she saw the boy sleeping under the prayer room's porch.

She got closer, seeing the uniform of Juuban High School. The red haired boy wore the jacket as a pillow, and the rest of the uniform was creased and still wet in some spots, along with some blood stains in the white shirt. Rei was puzzled with the way he snored: it wasn't loud, more like the purring of a cat. She poked him with her broom, waking him up in a sweat. He sat quickly, scanning the location with his eyes in alertness, as he seemed unsure of where he was.

“Rei!” He said, gently, realizing he was in the Hikawa Shrine. He scratched his head, lazy, as he stood up. “Did you know that if you sleep inside a dream, you don't dream at all? At least I don't remember dreaming...” He looked at her, noticing she was cautiously distant from him. He sighed, putting his jacket on. “You don't remember me either, do you?”

“Not really.” She was afraid of that young man up until that point. He called her by the name, but she didn't have the slightest recollection of him. Still, his voice was somehow familiar, and the tone he used was comforting, as if they were actual friends. “But it's funny: I actually don't remember dreaming this night.”

“I might be onto something, right?” His stomach roared loudly, much to Andrus' embarrassment. Rei laughed, putting the broom against one of the pillars. 

“Care for some breakfast?” She offered. He wanted to say no, but he couldn't remember his last meal. “It's a tradition of this temple to offer hospitality for all of those wandering.” 

“I...Thanks, Rei!” His hesitation wasn't just out of politeness. He was actually surprised that something good could happen to him in Sine's punishment. “If someone can go against that Dream Reaper's curse, it has to be the Sailor Soldiers, after all.” He thought to himself, walking beside Rei. 

He sat in front of the center table, in the same guest room he gathered with the Sailor Soldiers. “That felt like a lifetime ago.” He wondered, nostalgic. Soon after, Rei arrived with a tray holding two bowls with miso soup, and a plate with a few rice balls. She laid the tray in the center table, sitting across the boy.

“I hope this will do!” She gently said, offering one of the bowls to Andrus.

“Thank you for this food!” The delicious smell invaded Anrdus' nostrils, and he didn't take much time to dig in. Rei soon followed, happy to see him enjoying her cooking. 

“So, you know my name.” Rei spoke, intrigued. “But I still don't know yours.”

“It's Andrus. Andrus Homura!” He said, after swallowing the food. It always felt like a blow when one of those girls didn't recognize him. 

“So, mister Homura, how come a Juuban high schooler is left with no place to sleep?” 

“I'm going through a rough time.” He tried to be as vague as possible, knowing the real explanation could drive her away.

“Well, most people don't sympathize with _yankees_.” She  could tell by his reaction that it was a touchy subject, but she felt she had to go there. “Have you tried getting your act together? Maybe reinvent yourself.” Andrus laughed, putting the bowl back in the tray. “What?”

“Nothing.” He said, wiping a furtive tear from his eye. “I'm just amazed at how you Sailor Soldiers are such kind people!”

“What are Sailor Soldiers?” She was confused, even more because those words had a familiar sound, as if it was always there, in the corner of her mind.

“Forget it.” He shrugged, picking one of the rice balls. “Tell me about yourself, Rei.”

“I'm a shrine maiden, as you can see.” She flailed her arms in an attempt to display her clothing. “I have been one since I was a child.”

“That's cool!”

“Kinda. I always felt like I have been dropped here because my father didn't have any time for me, being busy and all.” She didn't know why she was speaking so openly, but somehow that felt better. 

“I have some problems with my father as well.” He said, chewing another bite of the rice ball. “He have some anger issues, and sometimes he would take it out on me. We never saw eye to eye on anything.” He laughed softly, with a lost gaze in his eyes. “I think that's why I always acted out. Never thought about that.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Her apologies felt shallow, as she thought about the way her relationship with her father got so much better. “But not all is lost, you know! I never thought I would get on good terms with my dad, but suddenly everything got much better!”

“Really?” That sentence caught Andrus' attention. He felt really bad for what he was about to do, even though he believed that was needed to wake her up. “That's great! How long have you two worked things out?”

“Oh, it has been...” She froze, trying to remember. “...a while.” Drawing a blank in that moment hit Rei harshly.

“A while, huh?” His hands gripped around his thigh, his nail digging through the skin as to push him to keep going with that cruel interrogatory. “And it happened out of the blue? You two must have conceded in some things, right? It couldn't have just been him committing to your wishes and desires.”

“What are you trying to say?” Rei appeared offended, with a harsh tone in her voice. 

“Nothing, nothing!” Andrus spoke softly, knowing he was hurting the girl as the conversation progressed. “But tell me, now that you are on great terms with your father, you must feel great, right?”

“Right!” She seemed cautious, giving thought to his words. 

“It worked out just like a dream, but something is still missing, isn't it? Like you had to lose something dear to gain all this?” Rei was horrified. That was exactly the way she felt since he started questioning her. “You still don't know what that is, Sailor Mars?”

“Get out of here!” She didn't raise her voice. She didn't have to. Andrus was already standing up, leaving the room without uttering a single word. He never felt so miserable in his life. His heart was heavy, but not as much as hers. The crack in the sky got wider, even though that wouldn't make them feel any better.

 

After a new day of classes, Ami was with her boyfriend sitting by the bleachers. She didn't know why they used to gather there, but it always felt great to meet him. She had great news to share with him, and that time she was sure to be able to also share the  _bento_ box. 

“You look really happy, Ami-chan!” Ryo said, as he caressed her hair. 

“You make me happy, Urawa-kun.” She softly spoke, nervous. “And to think I was afraid of you when we first met!”

“You were?” He laughed. “I had no idea!”

“When we bumped into each other, you were carrying your bike.” Her face blushed, as she spoke.

“My bike?” Intrigued, the boy asked.

“Yeah, it had a broken chain! You even fell down because you thought you were going to be late!”

“I don't have a bike, Ami-chan!” He softly said, which made Ami even more nervous. “Are you sure it was me?”

“Well...” She laughed, trying to disguise her anxiety. “I...”

“You must have me mistaken for one of your other admirers.” He joked, trying to calm her down. “That's okay, though. I'm the one with you, that's all that matters!” He stood up, hanging his backpack on his shoulders.

“You're leaving?” She asked, surprised.

“The regional tournament is coming. I have to take training seriously this following month!” He looked at her, as if he wanted her approval. She knew about his responsibilities as the captain of the kendo team. She faked a smile, that he took as a sign to leave. “I'll call you later today!” He said, before walking away.

She was all by herself once more, with the lunch box opened. She grabbed one of the rice balls, carefully made to resemble his favorite hero, and started chewing while she looked at the acceptance letter she received the day before. She sighed, picking up another rice ball, still admiring that piece of paper. When she reached for the third and last one, she was surprised to find out it was gone. Standing beside her was the red haired delinquent that scared her, eating the food she made to her boyfriend. He was looking over her shoulder, reading the letter.

“...admission to the Medicine course at Tokyo University...” He was reading out loud to himself, stopping when she noticed his presence. “Oh, hi!” He greeted her with a smile. Ami trembled in fear, reaching for the pocket of her skirt, only to find a pen. She thought of how nervous she must have been to go for the pocket, as she remembered that she always had kept her cellphone in her backpack. 

“What do you want from me?” She said, defiantly. “I heard that you challenged Urawa and cowardly beat him!”

“Oh...he said I fought dirty?” He couldn't help himself. Every time Ami antagonized him he felt he had to defend his honor. It hurt the most seeing her hateful look towards him.

“He didn't, but he wouldn't just lose to some delinquent!” She stood up, facing him. “Why are you here?”

“I want to challenge you as well!” The incisive look on his face was just an act. He was wounded, he was demolished. He kept repeating to himself that it had to be done. “Take me on a chess match, and just listen to what I have to say! After that, I'll leave you alone forever!”

“Fine!” Ami smiled. The boy must have been delusional if he thought he had any chance against her. She had been in the chess club for years, and was always one of the top players. Andrus' face showed no emotion. He had already shattered the dreams of three girls. He wondered how much it would hurt to break the dreams of the person he cared for the most.

 

_Next: Broken Dreams_


	8. 08 - Broken Dreams

**08**

 

It was still early in the morning, as Andrus had just left the Hikawa Shrine. He was still nauseated by the talk he had with Rei, but he pushed forward, sensing it might have been working. It was only a gut feeling, but the boy had to hold on to it. He passed the coffee shop once more, surprised to find Makoto there, behind the counter. At first he hesitated, for he didn't expect to find her so easily. “Maybe someone is looking out for me, after all.” He deeply sighed, as he entered the establishment.

“Good morning!” The girl said, cheerfully. “Would you like our special breakfast?”

“Oh, I'm sorry!” He spoke politely, trying to shrug off his meeting with Rei, taking a seat. “I already had breakfast. Could I get some coffee?”

“Sure!” It didn't take long for her to come back with a cup of coffee, and a piece of cake on the side. “This one is on the house!” Another act of kindness from one of the Sailor Soldiers, Andrus thought. 

“This is delicious!” He was amazed as he tasted the cake. “Now I'm feeling uncomfortable, something this good shouldn't be for free!” He laughed, followed by Makoto. He was surprised to be treated that nicely, as he still looked like a mess.

“Don't let my fiancee find out, he says the same thing every time I bake him one!” Andrus noticed the ring on her hand, gasping with surprise.

“Wow! You're engaged!” He tried to sound enthusiastic, as he figured out what her dream consisted of. “Congratulations!”

“”Thanks!” She blushed, covering part of her face with the tray. “It is like a dream, you know?” She said, infatuated. “I started working here, and found out the owner was a veteran from my old school that I had a major crush on, but was always too shy to even speak to him. Soon enough I was doing one of the things I like the most, for the person I like the most.” 

“What a lucky fellow!” His voice had a sad tone. “And what is the name of the lucky man?”

“Katsuragi-kun!” She spoke ecstatic. “He is so handsome, and so cool!” She held her hands to her face, embarrassed to speak those words.

“Maybe I've met him!” He lied, finishing his coffee. “What is his first name?”

“His first name is...” She frowned, looking at the ring. “His first name...”

“You were always too shy to even ask, right?” His serious tone made Makoto uneasy. “Even to the other students from your school.”

“I...” 

“When did you start working here, Makoto?” She looked at him, enraged. She never told him her name.

“Who are you?” The same reaction, every time. Andrus wondered if that happened because he was shattering their dreams, or if it was some prevention Sine made when she created that dream realm. He didn't discard the lack of his social skills. Either way didn't make the boy feel any better. He made a vow that the Dream Reaper's leader would pay for what she had done to those girls.

“You are also quite young to be already engaged, don't you think?” He stood up, as he predicted what was about to happen, seeing the confusion and anger in Makoto's face. “Like you said yourself: it's like a dream...”

“I think you have to go now, mister!” She pointed to the door, and he started to walk away.

“I'm going.” He said, unsatisfied. “If you want some answers to those questions, Sailor Jupiter, come to the Juuban High School, this evening.” He hoped that it was enough for her to inquiry about the inconsistencies of that dream realm, now he had to take care of the other three. He opened his backpack, taking out a piece of paper and a pen, writing two letters. One of them, he left at the record building where he auditioned the day before, destined to Minako. It took a long time and some money to convince the gatekeeper that the letter was important, and that Minako would want to read it. The second letter he left at the Hikawa Shrine, destined to Rei. She was more accessible, and he had higher hopes that she would read it. Both of them said the same thing:

 

“ _I'm deeply sorry for disturbing you once again, but I must beg of you: Come to Juuban High School this evening, and I'll give you the answers you are still seeking.”_

— _Andrus Homura, Red Haired Weirdo.—_

 

And then there she was: the only one left. Ami Mizuno wasn't at all impressed by his bravado, wondering what he had up in his sleeve that made him challenge her to a chess match. They walked to the chess club's room, as their battle was about to start. There didn't seem to be any club activities that evening, so the room was empty. Ami picked up a game board, setting it up on a table.

“You get to pick which color you want.” She said, casually, not even making eye contact with him as she laid the pieces on the board. “It doesn't make any difference to me, as a matter of fact.”

“Why are you so angry?” He helped her, setting the pieces on his side of the board. “Is it because I'm a troublemaker? Or is it because I had a fight with your boyfriend?”

“Both!” She stared at him, fiercely. “People like you don't take their studies seriously, and the fact that you pick fights for no reason is menacing to every one in this school!”

“What if I wanted to change?” Honesty got through his speech, and she noticed. “What if I realized that I was wrong, and apologized for all the trouble I have ever caused? Would you give me that chance?” They stared at each other for a long time until she sighed. 

“Let's play.” Ami said, conflicted.

“Okay.” The disappointment in his voice was evident. “Let's make this a best out of five matches, then! Agreed?”

“Whatever. I'll end this quickly enough!” She looked at his side of the board, realizing he had pieces in the wrong position. “You put the bishops in the place of the knights. And your king and queen are reversed, the white queen goes in the white spot, and the king in the vacant spot next to it.”

“Oh!” He corrected the board, embarrassed. “I haven't played this in a long time, sorry!” The genuine attitude made him look friendlier for Ami, but she still wouldn't trust him. “I'll start, then!”

“Go on!” They started playing. She didn't go full force against him right at the start, as she wanted to know the extension of his abilities. He wasn't half-bad, but was far from a challenge to Ami. “So what did you want to speak with me?”

“I just wanted to get to know you better.” He made a move, wondering if that was the best play he could make. “Like, who are you friends with here in this school?”

“You can't do that!” Ami said, startling him. 

“It's just a question...”

“No, I mean the move you made!” She pointed to the board. “If you move that piece, you'll leave your king in the way of my bishop, you can't put yourself in a check!”

“Oh, right!” He remade his move. Ami was unimpressed, as she couldn't really figure out what was his plan. Was he truly being honest about wanting to redeem himself, and about just wanting to know her? “So, about my question...”

“Well...” She made her move, putting him in a check, despite his effort to stop her. “There is Urawa-kun, of course!”

“Of course!” He was concentrated, trying to figure out a way to escape. “Anyone else?” He sacrificed his knight to protect his king. 

“No...” She sighed. It was always very lonely when Ryo had to train with the kendo club, but why did she had the impression she was forgetting of someone?

“I see!” He tried to take a more offensive stance in his plays, but as soon as he let go of the rook he just moved, he realized he had messed up.

“Check mate!” Ami said, relentless. “Just two more and we can finish this!” They rearrange the pieces, starting the second game. “But why did you ask that?” She was curious, after all.

“I just imagined that a girl like you had more friends. Someone more cheerful to boost your spirit in the hard times.” He started once more, going for a different strategy this time.

“I have Ryo for that!” She seemed offended, as she moved her piece, predicting his move.

“It's not the same!” He shrugged, trying to think ahead while he played. “Love can come and go, but true friendship takes longer to wane.” That talk was disturbing the girl, she just wanted to end this and go home. She couldn't believe that boy's move, opening himself in such a rookie mistake.

“Check mate!” Ami spoke once again, bothered. “You'll have to do better if you want to pose as a challenge!” 

“Wow! I didn't even see that coming!” He laughed, reorganizing the pieces once again. “You're awesome!” Those words. She felt like it wasn't the first time she heard those words in his voice. She was getting nervous as the time passed.

“Let's just play, Andrus!” She said, surprising them both when she called him by the first name. “This...” She hesitated, trembling. “This will be the final match, and I'll never have to see you again, right?”

“If you win.” He started the game for the third time. If there was a moment for him to put his plan in course, it was now. “So, tell me, how did you meet Urawa-kun?”

“It was...” Ami thought of the conversation she had with Ryo earlier that day, right before Andrus showed up. If it wasn't the incident with the bike, then how was it? “He transferred to Juuban, and his grades rivaled my own.” She played in an autopilot mode, reacting to Andrus' moves. “I was so excited to meet someone who could challenge me, and then I found out that he...what?” Ami couldn't believe, but Andrus had her in a check for the first time. She had to pay more attention.

“What did you found out? Something about him?” He asked, friendly. She was starting to feel more comfortable around that _yankee_ , and realizing that slightly annoyed her.

“It doesn't make much sense.” She was having troubles breaking Andrus' defense, as she scanned the board with her eyes. It felt like she couldn't focus. “I don't know why, but I have this faint memory of him being so good at the exams because of some psychic power.”

“That's odd. But weird things happen.” He made a final, confident move, announcing it with a smile: “Chek mate, Mizuno-san!” She was at a loss for words. How was that even possible? Was he holding back when they played the first two rounds?

They started the fourth match, and Ami felt even more uneasy as she gave thought to what she had just said about Ryo. An image of him turning into a monster shook her mind, mostly because she had no idea of what that meant. “Do you remember how we met?” Andrus asked, as he moved one of his pawns.

“You came out of nowhere and grabbed my arm! I was really scared of you!” She sighed, confused as to what was happening.

“And with reason!” He softly laughed, mostly because his plan seemed to be working out the way he intended. “A roughed up stranger comes out of nowhere and call you by your name! That must be terrifying!”

“So you do understand.” She smiled, as she plotted a trap for him.

“Of course! But that's not how I remember meeting you.” He was still in a defensive stance, for he couldn't lose this match. 

“Tell me, then!” She said, seeing through his strategies.

“It was the day I transferred to Juuban High School.” There was a nostalgic tone to his voice, as if it happened years ago, even though it had been mere days. “I was really nervous, and thought I was going to be late.” Those familiar words, in that familiar voice, once again, made Ami rise her eyes, facing him directly. “In my hurry, I ended up I falling hard when the bike chain broke. It must have been funny though, as some kids couldn't stop laughing.” She was trembling, as the memories she had with Urawa were being replaced by Andrus. “Good thing is I always carry some bandages in my backpack, so I could stop the bleeding in my arm.” He made a move with his queen, loudly putting the piece to the board. “Check mate, Ami-chan!”

“What is happening?” She cried, laying her shaking hands on the table. 

“Ami, look at the board.” He commanded, and when she gazed upon the table, confusion took over: Andrus' pieces and hers were all scrambled in an impossible way. His check mate was made with her own queen, and she didn't even notice. “In the dream realm” He spoke in a friendly voice. “if you don't pay attention, your mind will fill the gaps so you won't notice any conflicting or inconsistent incident. All I had to do was distract you enough with hard questions, and you wouldn't care if I made an illegal move, or if I played using your own pieces. That's how I beat you twice!”

“What does that mean?” She felt like calling Ryo, but it didn't feel right. She felt like calling one of the other girls, but who were those girls?

“I'll explain it all to you, if you care to listen!” They were both surprised by a direct punch to Andrus' face. He fell off his chair, as Ryo had his fist extended in his direction.

“I had this feeling you would try to hurt my girlfriend, _yankee_!” Urawa was angry, moving next to Andrus and dropping all the chess pieces as he bumped into the table. 

“Did you?” The red haired boy provoked. “Or did you feel that her memories were returning, and that meant you would fade away?”

“Shut up!” Urawa meant to attack once more, being held by Ami. “Ami-chan?”

“Urawa-kun didn't like to fight!” His fighting spirit vanished in that same moment. “He was never part of the kendo club!” The shinai strapped to his back disappeared immediately. “And he was the sweetest person I ever met!” Ami had tears in her eyes, as she saw the boy started vanishing, leaving no trace. “You're not Urawa-kun!”

Andrus was amazed. Ami stood tall, with a fierce look in her eyes. She had an imposing aura surrounding her. She crouched near him, and hugged him tight. He wrapped his arms around her, muffling her cry. “Andrus! I'm so sorry!” She said, fighting her tears.

“Don't worry!” He said, trying to cheer her. “I don't really care if I'm not the sweetest person you ever met!” She laughed, holding him tighter.

“You're a fireball, Andrus!” They both laughed, until they heard a loud noise coming from the outside. They swiftly stood up, running towards the schoolyard. Pieces of the sky could be seen dropping to the ground, startling the students. Rei, Makoto and Minako had just arrived, watching the sky crumble with a terrified look in their eyes. They reunited, staring at each other with a feeble confusion in their minds. As the four Sailor Soldiers got together, their memories seemed to slowly return. 

“A dream?” Rei said, gripping her hands in a fist.

“Sine...” Makoto had a raspy voice, as she realized her desires had been used to trap her.

“Usagi...” Minako looked up, remembering the fight in Naru's dream. “USAGI!” She yelled, seeing her friend appearing behind the cracks in the sky. All of them looked up as well, seeing not only the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, but also King Endymion. Usagi and Mamoru seemed to be the ones powering that dream realm.

“Our enemies used them to create this prison.” Minako realized, angry.

“After all, Usagi is the one that knows all of our dreams and hopes!” Makoto added. None of them realized the glowing spheres in front of them.

“Usagi was the one that cared the most for our desires!” Rei stood her hand out, and the bright light turned her into Sailor Mars. Soon after, the others followed. A rush took hold of Andrus, overjoyed that they were back.

They held their hands, and in a flash of light they beamed themselves up, grabbing Usagi and Mamoru. The final pieces of that nightmare reality crumbled, as they could see their two friends waking up. A bright light shone upon the Sailor Soldiers, and that dreamland was no more.

They woke up in a coffee shop. The same one they were before that whole incident. It was deserted, but that didn't matter, they were all together, finally. The girls crushed Usagi in a hug, and the blonde girl couldn't decide if she laughed or cried, doing both. Andrus sighed, letting himself go in the coffee shop booth, laying down exhausted. Every single one of them were tired beyond reason.

“Girls!” Usagi tried to speak, but they wouldn't let go of her. It took them a while to pay attention to their leader. “Girls, I'm only giving you trouble.” The joy of being together was replaced by a sadness that took hold of her. “I get captured, and then you rescue me, only for me to get captured again! I don't want this anymore!”

“We won't let them harm you anymore, Usagi!” Rei said, fiercely.

“We promise!” Minako added, resting her hand in Usagi's shoulders.

“It's not just that!” She spoke, anguished. “I can't bare to be a burden anymore!”

“Don't be silly!” Andrus said, still lying down in the booth, only his hand could be seen pointing out. “The Dream Reapers must have focused so much on you because they thought you were the bigger threat, and they were right!”

“What do you mean?” Usagi asked, not really following.

“They made the mistake of using you as the vessel for that dream realm. A person always concerned about their friends.” He rose, sitting down at the booth. “Myself included. For all the hard time Sine gave me in the dream realm, you gave me enough chances to break the spell, even if it took a lot of work! Don't ever think you were a burden, Usagi! That's exactly what Sine and her Dream Reapers want!”

“Yeah!” Makoto said, positively.

“She also made the mistake of punishing the wrong reforming _yankee_!” Usagi said, which made every one laugh. Andrus was right: even though Sine used Usagi's desire for her friends to be happy, the fact that Andrus was suffering in that dream realm was enough to make Usagi strive to rescue him, no matter how hard that would be. She wasn't a burden. As they cheered, Luna crawled out of Ami's purse, wondering why she had to reappear there of all places, and gazed outside the windows. 

“Girls!” What she saw froze her blood. Dozens of people were unconscious on the streets, and a glittery dust seemed to be drained from them. There didn't seem to be a single soul awaken in the whole city, as there was absolute silence. In the center of the city, a large ivory castle could be seen. Sine and the Dream Reapers made it to the real world, and were feeding of everyone's dreams.

“What do we do?” Ami said, exhausted. “We have to take them down! But how?”

“We can't do anything right now.” Andrus pleaded, as he was also tired. “We have to gather our energies!” He stood up, watching the door. “Let's go to the Hikawa Shrine, rest, and think of a definitive plan.” No one disagreed. They were all devastated by the gauntlet that was fighting the Dream Reapers. Even though the thought of sleeping was a dreaded one, it was still the thing they craved the most. 

They marched to the temple, passing through hundreds of people knocked out. It was evident that they were being used by Sine. They felt guilty for not facing the enemy right away, but the fatigue was immense. Ami walked beside Andrus, concerned.

“Are you sure it is safe to sleep?” She asked, troubled. “Look at all these people!”

“We can take turns, watching over each other dreams.” He wasn't so certain of his plan, but there wasn't much more they could do in that state. “But I think we're safe. With all those people she's been draining, it will probably take a while for her to figure out we escaped.”

They stopped at Minako's house, only to find Artemis, the other moon cat, passed out just like the townspeople. Seeing him like that was anguishing for them. Minako tightened his fingers in a fist, angered. They took him with them, as they felt it was better to bring him along to the temple, in the feeble hope that he could wake up.

When they arrived, Rei lent clothes from the shrine, so everyone would be able to freshen up. They bathed, eaten, and then discussed what they should do.

“We fought the demon guards more than once, and they always come back!” No matter how much better Makoto felt, that thought deeply irritated her. “That's infuriating!”

“Tell me about it!” Rei intervened, crossing her arms, annoyed. “I can't stand to look at Cendrillion's face anymore!”

“As long as Sine lives, she probably can bring them back at her own will!” Minako wondered, resting against one of the guest room walls.

“So we should take her out as fast as we can.” Andrus joined the conversation. Ami stared at him, with a worried look that went unnoticed by the boy. “If we raid the castle, we'll probably have to face the demon guards once more. But we can take them!” He tried to boost their morale. “We've beaten them before, we can surely do it again!”

“They must be stronger since Sine's return!” Ami interrupted him, with a serious gaze in her eyes. 

“So are we!” He said, laying back. “Look at us! Look at what we endured by ourselves! Now they'll have to face us as a whole!”

“Maybe you shouldn't come with us.” Ami said, plainly. All of them had thought about that at some point, but they all figured it should be Ami the one to say it.

“Don't worry!” He stroke a pose, confidently. “I can handle myself! If you'd like, I can even dress in a tuxedo, like Mamoru, and call myself 'Masked Kamen'! What about that?”

“Don't those words mean the same thing?” Minako mumbled, while Andrus and Ami continued to argue.

“You have to stay back, Andrus!” She fiercely said, much to his surprise.

“Come on!” He stared at her, displeased. “Why are you so adamant about that?”

“You are strong, Andrus, and you have an amazing power!” She didn't hesitate, her voice didn't fail at any moment: she was gravely serious. “But you are only human!”

“That's ridiculous!” He stomped the floor, agitated, as he stood up. “I'm involved in this crap since day one, and you say that I can't go?”

“Chenelle almost killed you!” She confronted him, not intimidated by his fit. “Scáthach easily overpowered you!”

“You can't stop me from going!”

“I can't stand to see you die, you idiot!” She stood up, facing him directly. They have never seen Ami so exalted. “We already lost you once in a battle that Sine just toyed with us! Do you think she'll have any mercy the next time she meets you?” Andrus was speechless. He wanted to refute, but there were no words. He stormed off, leaving the guest room. Ami held back her tears. It was better if he hated her, if that made it easier for him not to go. The awkward silence in the room was disturbing, as no one knew what to say, or what to do. Rei left soon after, searching for the boy. 

She found him sitting by the stairs, gazing at the sky. She sat beside him, still thinking of what to say. To her surprise, Andrus was the one to break the silence:

“I know.” He sighed, frustrated. “Ami is right: I'm actually terrified of Sine, and I'm really afraid to die! But I don't want to stay back.” The fear in his voice was palpable.

“She's just concerned about you, Andrus!” Rei stared at the sky as well. It didn't feel right. Sine's corruption seemed to affect even the stars above. “We all are!”

“You guys are great!” He laid down, intertwining the fingers of his hands behind his head. “Even though this was one of the worst situations I've ever been, I had a blast meeting you all!” He stared at Rei for a while, as there was something he meant to say since they left the dreamland. “Rei...I'm really sorry for using your father against you!” It still bothered him that he broke the dreams of those girls, and his own situation with his father made him feel even worse for what he did to Rei.

“Don't worry!” She said, flustered, trying to shrug it off. “You did what you had to!”

“I guess! Doesn't make it any easier to cope, though. I just wanted you to know that you don't have to face it all by yourself. I've been through something similar...” He felt like there wasn't any reason to bring this up, feeling awkward. “and you'll always have your friends!” He stood up, meaning to go back. 

“You're right about that!” She smiled, seeing someone approaching them. “Thank you, Andrus!”

“I guess I'll go back and apologize to Ami.” He turned around, softly bumping into the blue haired girl. They exchanged embarrassed looks, which Rei took as her cue to leave. He stared at Ami for a long while, before he could gather the courage to speak. “I'll stay back, and wait for you to return with the victory!”

“Really?” She said, with a smile on her face. Usagi had convinced her to talk to Andrus once more, as she thought Ami was right and had good reasons. She didn't expect him to change his mind that fast. Maybe she underestimated him.

“But I'll see you guys to the castle, and we'll keep in contact as much as we can!” He held his cellphone up high, with a determined gaze. “Anything goes down, I'll join in and kick some Reaper's butt!”

“That won't be needed, right?” She teased, imitating his pose. “After all, just look at what we endured by ourselves!” They laughed, returning to the temple. It would be a long night, but they had to try and get some sleep, as the final battle approached.

 

_Next: For Those Who Love to Live_

 


	9. 09 - For Those Who Love to Live

**09**

 

Night was hell. They didn't sleep well at all, but it was enough to recover most of their energies. There was anxiety and hesitation crossing everyone's minds, as they walked towards the main gate of the ivory palace. The place seemed gigantic, occupying a whole block of the city. It loomed over Juuban, as if it watched all and every single one of their steps.

Luna and Andrus stood behind, as the other six members of the party were about to enter the castle. Andrus and Ami had their cellphones on, with the speakerphone activated, that way the two parties could communicate freely. When they were about to enter the castle, Andrus held Ami's hand, in an impulse, as he meant to say something.

“What...?” The girl blushed upon seeing the intensity in his eyes. The touch of his hand felt warm, even through her glove.

He stared at her for a long time, trying to build up enough courage. He intended to say it thousands of times, and now, in that critical moment, he choked. “I...” He sighed, looking at Ami, then spotting the other Sailor Soldiers. It didn't feel like the right time for that. “Eu gosto de você!” He said, after struggling with his own words.

“What was that?” Ami was confused. The girls and Mamoru were waiting, and she didn't picked up what he said. He wouldn't repeat it, he couldn't repeat it. He just smiled, and let her go.

“Good luck, Ami!” He yelled, his face red with his awkwardness, waving his hand. “Good luck, you guys!” Seeing them enter made him feel bad, as if he was slacking for being left behind

“All we can do now is cheer for them, Andrus!” Luna said. Andrus petted her, nodding positively.

“You're right!” He glared at the castle, worried, while he picked up his wooden sword, hoping he didn't have to use it. “They'll be okay! After all, they're the Sailor Soldiers!”

“We can hear you, loud and clear!” Rei spoke through Ami's phone, teasing the boy, Sailor Mercury's protests. “Thank you for the trust! We won't let you down!”

“Go get them, girls!”Andrus laughed, but was still nervous. 

 

They arrived at the main hall of the castle. It had a spiral pattern for its floor, surrounded by large stairs on both sides. The Sailor Soldiers looked around the hall, seeing many doors, much like the ones they saw when they were in the dream realm.

“What should we do?” Minako asked the others. “Should we split and look for the Dream Reapers?”

“I strongly advise against that!” Ami said, concerned. “There is no way to be sure that the Dream Reapers will fight like they used to, now that they are all gathered with their leader.”

“Sailor Mercury is right!” Andrus voice could be heard on the phone. “It might take longer if you stay together, but it's safer.” The girls nodded, deciding which door they should go first. Before they could make a move, one of those doors opened, and shady figures walked out of them, defiantly. After a while, they could see the silhouettes taking the form of old enemies from the past. One of them was Boxy, a _youma_ with angelical wings and boxing gear. The second was Bunbo, a tall monster with metal armor, with blades and shears for hands. The last one was Binah, a lady demon with beautiful features, dressed as a priestess with wings  on her back. Those three were once part of the Seven Great Youma, some of the strongest enemies they ever faced.

“Why?” Ami spoke, confused. “Why are they here?” The demons attacked, each of them choosing a target, separating the heroes in that large hall. Boxy attacked Makoto and Minako, Bunbo went for Ami and Rei, and Binah launched herself against Mamoru and Usagi.

Sailor Mercury wanted to end the fight as soon as possible. Bunbo reminded her of how vicious Queen Beryl had been, using the heart of a pure boy like Ryo Urawa for her evil intents. She was sure that the monster she faced had no connection other than his appearance, probably a plan of the Dream Reapers to demoralize them. Ami and Rei attacked in a coordinated move, taking turns to release their techniques. The water blasts followed by the fire blew the monster back, the girls celebrated, seeing he wasn't as tough as he used to be.

To their surprise, Bunbo stood up unharmed and ready to attack. He pointed the blades in his arms in Ami's direction, firing it against her. She jumped over them, evading the attack elegantly, not realizing they homed in her direction, in a boomerang effect. Rei threw herself over Sailor Mercury, moving her out of the way.

“Thanks, Rei!” She said, startled.

“We have to be careful!” The red soldier stood up, staring at their enemy. “Got any plans?” 

“A few!” Ami stood next to her. “But they are all too risky!” They evaded a new attack from the monster, that forced them to avoid a set of sharp razors that flew in their direction.

“I'll take it!” Sailor Mars said, preparing her arrow. 

“Get ready then, Rei!” Ami charged a grand amount of energy in her hands, while she stood behind her friend. She released a tidal wave that embraced Rei and carried her in their enemy's direction. Sailor Mars understood what Ami tried to achieve, and seeing the confusion in Bunbo's face let her know that she would have a clear shot. Ami's “ _Mercury Aqua Mirage”_ boosted Rei's “ _Mars Flame Sniper”_ , giving it additional strength. It was enough for it to blast away the monster's armor, burning it away. 

Sailor Jupiter and Venus were fighting Boxy. Makoto and the monster exchanged blows, while Minako positioned herself to fire against the enemy without taking unnecessary risks. Jupiter managed to strike a strong blow to Boxy's stomach, making him step back. Venus took the chance, attacking him with her  _“Crescent Beam”._ The attack hit his guard, raising a strange amount of dust and smoke, covering the monster. Unknown to the girls, the demon flapped his wings to create a smoke screen, using it to hide his attack. When the girls saw the boxing gloves flying in their direction, it was too late to avoid.

They fell on the ground, and the cloud of smoke dispersed, revealing Boxy practically unscathed. The duo looked at each other, trying to figure out a plan. Makoto dashed against the enemy, jumping and trying to hit him with a flying kick. He dodged, as the girl anticipated. With each of the Sailor Soldiers at his flanks, the monster saw himself in deep trouble.

“Makoto!” Minako shouted, making the gesture she often did before using her “ _Venus Love Me Chain”_ technique. The brown haired soldier smiled and nodded, as she understood what her friend had in mind.

Sailor Jupiter spun around, firing a barrage of sharp leaves covered in thunder with her “ _Jupiter Oak Evolution.”_ . Sailor Venus summoned her chain, that not only protected her from the stray leaves that passed through Boxy, but also deflected them back in his direction, maximizing the technique's potential, defeating the monster.

Binah drew one of the feathers on her wing, and with a swift move she sketched the outline of a giant snake. The drawing quickly solidified as a vicious serpent, assaulting Usagi and Mamoru, that narrowly dodged. Tuxedo Mask grabbed his cane, jumping above one of the snake's attack, landing on the back of its head, trying to strangulate it. It was enough to divert the monstrous reptile for the precious seconds it took Usagi to prepare her own attack. She launched her tiara against the enemy, and the glowing energy surrounding it was enough to break Binah's spell.

The couple turned their attention back to Binah, with Mamoru trying to hit her with refined attacks, using his cane as if it was a rapier. He dashed, as he continued his effusive strokes to try and hold back the demon. Usagi stood right behind him, and when he jumped to evade an attack from Binah, she already had her rod in hands, ready to fire her own attack.

“ _Moon Princess Halation!”_ She yelled, firing a beam shaped as a crescent moon from the staff, blasting Binah away. As the three monsters fell down, their remains turned into the same silver dust that the Dream Reapers were gathering from the townsfolk. The argent debris floated back to the door from which the monsters had come.

“They were made from people's dreams.” Usagi realized, with a sad tone in her voice. The fact that Sine was using that energy to create monsters and cause havoc made her angry, even more than when she was captured by the Dream Reapers. “We have to stop her!” Usagi shouted, determined. Mamoru and the girls just nodded in approval, following their leader to the open door. Pursuing the trail of silver dust seemed like a good lead. 

“Is it always like that for you, Luna?” Andrus asked, only able to hear the battle and the conversation that followed through his phone. Not being able to help made him anxious. 

“Every time.” She answered in a mellow voice, with a soft smile on her face. “No matter how many times I have been through this, or how much faith I have in them -and believe me, it's a lot- I always feel like my heart will stop at any single moment out of fear that something goes wrong.”

“You must have a strong heart then, Luna!” He laughed. “I don't know if I can take this for much longer.” Andrus got up, stared at the castle, and sat down once again thinking about the promise he made to Ami. 

Inside, Usagi and her friends found themselves in a different environment. They were atop of a tremendously tall room made of gears, chains and iron stairs amalgamating in a surreal fashion. There was a loud and dissonant ticking noise, and in the background they could see the hands of a giant clock. The room looked immense, as they could barely see the bottom. It also seemed to spin around them, disorienting the heroes until they realized they were the ones moving, as they stood in one of the rotating gears.

“This is weird.” Makoto was uneasy, as she moved forward, seeing a staircase leading down.

“I have to agree.” Ami added, as she walked up the stairs in her way. 

“Girls!” Usagi cried, seeing that they had all moved in different directions. When they realized, the six of them were each in a different level of that gear. They still could see each other, but were enable to see a path that could lead them to their friends.

“How did that happen?” Rei asked. Andrus and Luna were listening to the confused rants of their friends.

“What is going on?” Luna spoke, concerned. “Is everyone okay?” Andrus was also close to the phone, nervous as he wondered what was happening.

“This room is doing something to disorient us.” Ami answered, in an unusually loud voice. “Can you hear that noise?” Luna and Andrus got even closer, but the sound didn't seem to have changed. “We're inside this giant clock tower, I think the Dream Reapers are trying to confuse us.”

“We can't hear anything different from here, Ami!” Andrus was the one speaking that time. “Be careful, Sine might be trying to trick you!”

“Okay, we...” Sailor Mercury is interrupted by an attack from Adare, the demon guard. She barely got the chance to dodge the flying kick directed at her. “The Dream Reapers!” Ami warned their fellow warriors, that were also being attacked. “Watch out!”

Makoto saw Chenelle right in front of her. To her luck, the demon guard didn't seem to be aware of her presence. She took that chance, running towards the enemy and aiming a flying kick in her way. The Dream Reaper barely managed to avoid the attack, rolling to the side.

Cendrillion and Minako were measuring forces, as the woman covered in ashes fired a sequence of flame disks in Sailor Venus' direction. Minako dashed forward, enduring the flames to tackle the demon guard.

Rei tried to free herself from Caitriona's hold. The demon guard had her pinned down on the ground, but Sailor Mars wouldn't let her gain the upper hand. She rolled to the side, inverting the positions.

Usagi fought the Bakhtak, wondering why his methods were so different. He attacked elegantly, and didn't resemble in any way the loudmouth that faced her in Juuban High School. She dodged his attacks, barely escaping from his sword made from a purple flame.

Scáthach was faster than Mamoru anticipated. He jumped above her and tried to hit her with his cane, but it was no use. She also seemed clumsier than he would expect from the Dream Reapers. Something just didn't feel right in that battle. Ami also had that strange impression. There was something oddly familiar in Adare's fighting stance. When the demon guard attacked with a thunder dragon, she realized what was going on. She wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack. Her screams of pain were heard by Andrus and Luna, who were only getting more nervous. They also couldn't understand why Sailor Jupiter sounded so close if Ami said they got separated in that same room.

“Wait!” Chenelle appealed to Makoto. The soldier in green was too fed up with the Dream Reapers to care for any pleads from her enemies. She charged another round of attack, spinning around and releasing the waves of leaves. Ami's outcries were enough to put Andrus out of his mind.

“That's enough!” He said, picking up his sword and cellphone. “I'm going in!” Luna didn't have time to protest, as she saw the boy dashing inside the castle. Ami didn't even have the chance to stop him, as she had to escape from another round of attacks from what it appeared to be Adare. That ticking sound didn't help her concentration either.

“The sound...” Ami thought. Andrus and Luna couldn't hear the sound, so it was something not only contained to the room, but directed specifically at them. Ami pulled her super computer, and leaped across the gear she was standing, gaining enough ground from Adare. She analyzed the sound spectrum emitted by the clock tick. The computer picked two sounds, one in hearing range, and the second on the 7 Hz length. “The same frequency that the human brain operates!” She thought, while she programmed her computer to emit a sound in that same frequency, jamming the Dream Reapers' illusion. 

Her timing couldn't be better, Makoto was close to attacking her again, halting as she saw Chenelle being replaced by a hurt Sailor Mercury. They didn't get separated, it was all part of that illusion. They were tricked to attack each other, seeing one of the demon guards in the place of their friend.

“Sailor Mercury!” Jupiter was terrified by seeing her friend hurt. It didn't take any time for her to realize that she had caused those injuries. “I'm so sorry!” Makoto clenched her teeth, mad about those monsters' tactics. Ami just smiled gently at her friend, no great harm was done. She picked her phone, trying to contact Luna and Andrus.

“Luna?” She spoke, without an answer. “Andrus?” She was even more anxious when she heard the heavy breathing of the boy, and his steps against the ivory floor. “Andrus, don't come in! We're fine!” There was a long minute of silence, until she heard his voice.

“I'm already inside.” He said, panting. “And there's something chasing me! It looks like a small demon with red skin, white mane and...ugh...” He seemed hurt. “Yellow eyes that just didn't hold still!” 

“Oh, no!” Ami spoke, realizing who that creature was. The description matched Jiji, one of the Seven Great Youma. “Andrus, you have to get away! This is too dangerous!”

“I...” He wanted to stay, he couldn't bear listening to the battle and not taking part. Still, there was a huge part of him that wanted to take that advice, that was frightened with the mere thought of meeting Sine once again. “I'll try, Ami!” He had to. He knew that if he stayed he would only be a burden. “Even if I have to fight my way back!” 

“Be careful!” She spoke softly, sensing the conflict in his voice.

“Don't worry! No one can take the Kamen Mask down that easily!” They both laughed, trying to hide their fears. “You make sure to come back as well, okay?”

They parted their ways, dreading the thought of something bad happening to theirs friends. Andrus tried to find the way back, Ami and the Sailor Soldiers tried to find the Dream Reapers and put an end to that nightmare.

In the bottom of the clock tower, they saw a large metal door. They climbed down, careful as to not fall in another of the enemies traps. Ami tapped her super computer screen, trying to find something of useful.

“Any luck?” Makoto stood near her, watching the screen go wild with numbers and words that didn't make much sense to her. She was still feeling bad for attacking Ami, keeping close to her as a mean to try and protect her friend. 

“Not really!” Ami spoke, with a slight disappointment in her voice. “This place is like a whole castle of illusions, my computer can't tell any real path apart from the decoys they might use!”

“So we can be running in circles without even knowing?” Sailor Jupiter said, unsatisfied. 

“Most likely...” They all walked through the metal door, arriving at what it looked like an arena. There was sand below their feet, and they were surrounded by one single round wall with pillars adorning it. Beneath the walls, there were stands meant for a crowd to cheer and bash the attractions, but they were eerily empty.

“This looks like the Roman Colosseum.” Ami realized, as they walked to the center of the circle.

“Combined with a circus.” Mamoru noticed, pointing to the tent that covered the arena, in flashy and vibrant colors. 

“Pay attention, guys!” Usagi was concerned, looking all over the place, waiting for a move from the Dream Reapers. “They probably will try to trick us again!”

A set of bright lights shone upon the Sailor Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask. There were five spotlights in the ceiling of the arena, all pointing at the heroes. Figures stood tall on the lamps, and as their eyes adjusted to the brightness, they could see the five demon guards of the Dream Reapers.

“No tricks this time, Sailor Moon!” Scáthach said, with a wicked smile on her face, as she jumped down to the arena. “This will be our last fight!” Adare, Chenelle, Cendrillion and Caitriona all followed their comrade, facing one of the Sailor Soldiers. Mamoru smirked, realizing there were only five of the Dream Reapers, but with him the Sailor Soldiers were in an advantage. From his shadows, created by the spotlights, five Bakhtaks rose, all with the twisted smile in face, and the fiery blade in the place of a hand.

“I didn't say anything about tricks, you know!” The imps laughed, all attacking Tuxedo Mask. “Have at you!”

With the attack of the Bakhtak, the battle had begun. Mamoru was faster than the monster, but they outnumbered him, putting the man in a dire situation. No matter how many attacks Mamoru evaded, one of the imp's blows eventually would get him, burning and cutting his skin.

Chenelle and Ami measured forces, as the demon guard created waves of muddy water that clashed with the Sailor Soldier's crystal clear waves. They appeared evenly matched, although Ami held back as she tried to figure out on how to defeat Chenelle. The demon guard didn't seem to care for that, even though she knew that Sailor Mercury wasn't fighting with her full power.

“Let's see how you deal with this, Sailor Mercury!” She laughed, rising above the ground. Chenelle fired a single ball of energy against Ami, that evaded without breaking a sweat.

“That's it?” Ami said, defiantly. “You seemed more powerful when you were trying to kill my friend!” Ami was surrounded by waves of water, preparing her attack. “For which I will never forgive you!” When she tried to charge against Chenelle, she didn't seem to be able to move. The demon guard's attack wasn't meant to hit her, Ami realized. Firing against the ground, Chenelle turned it into quicksand that pulled Ami deeper with every move. 

Chenelle laughed in a loud, unnerving voice, satisfied that her diversion worked well enough. Seeing the blue soldier trapped delighted her. “Now you'll learn not to underestimate me.” She created a set of tentacles made of mud that held Ami's arms and legs, immobilizing her completely. Her struggles aggravated the quicksand, making her submerge faster. Chenelle stood in front of her, cherishing the despair in her enemy's face. “You're mine!” She slapped Ami's face once, twice, three times, enjoying the helplessness of the entangled warrior. She punished Sailor Mercury for defeating her in their first encounter, savoring that moment. “You don't look so tough now, do you?” The demon guard teased, holding the head of her enemy up. “What?” Chenelle was disconcerted by Ami's resistant gaze. The girl still defied her, even in that perilous situation. “That's it!” Chenelle commanded the tentacles to pull Ami deeper into the quicksand, drowning the Sailor Soldier.

Ami kept her calm, even though she knew in how much trouble she was. She could see Chenelle through the quicksand, and also saw her friends fighting the other Dream Reapers. She focused on her surroundings. Having fought Chenelle before gave her an advantage that the demon guard seemed to ignore. Activating her powers, Ami was able to control any body of water, no matter how murky it was. Once more, Chenelle made a mistake that would give Sailor Mercury the upper hand.

The Dream Reaper had a large smile on her face, as she watched Sailor Mercury struggle under the quicksand. When Ami stopped moving, Chenelle thought the victory was closer than ever. The quicksand started moving in a strange way, pulsating menacingly in Chenelle's direction. Suddenly, a huge wave surrounded the demon guard, trapping her and throwing her far from Ami. The Sailor Soldier stood tall in one of the waves, freed from her enemy's snare.

“Shine Aqua Illusion!” A ripple of water surrounded Ami, which she fired against Chenelle. As it moved in the demon guard's direction, the volume of water rose, turning into a tidal wave that tried to engulf Chenelle. The Dream Reaper attempted to defend herself, summoning her own wave of water, immediately surprised as her attack froze in the air. Ami's attack wasn't just a water beam, but also a freezing one. The demon guard found herself defeated, as the ice consumed her, breaking her out of existence.

Cendrillion and Rei ran side by side, shooting fireballs at each other. It was the third time Rei faced that demon guard, and both warriors were more careful at that point. Cendrillion kept her distance, unwilling to concede any space to the Sailor Soldier. Rei tried to get closer, imagining it would become easier to hit the demon guard. She knew Cendrillion could absorb most of her attacks, but one blow to the right spot could be enough to end this battle.

The Dream Reaper lifted the index and middle fingers of her right hand, creating a wall of flames in front of her enemy. The heat and light generated by the fire pillar made Sailor Mars go blind for a few seconds, enough time for Cendrillion to take advantage. With a wave of her hand, she blasted Rei with fiery disks that cut through her Sailor Soldier attire.

“Do you see, Sailor Mars?” Cendrillion provoked, amused with her own strategy. “Do you see what you get when you mess with the Dream Reapers?” She laughed, shooting more disks of fire against the incapacitated soldier. 

Rei fell to the ground, trying to escape from Cendrillion's attacks. Her vision was still blurred, and every move seemed to put her in greater danger. She was a sitting duck for the Dream Reaper, and it wouldn't be possible for Rei to wait until her vision normalized. She took a few more hits, focusing on the aura emanating from the demon guard.

Sailor Mars endured a few more seconds of pain, finally able to pinpoint Cendrillion's location, even if she was unable to see. In a swift move of her hands, the Sailor Soldier fired a set of her paper tags against the Dream Reaper, catching her off-guard. The ritual tags stuck in Cendrillion's forehead and arms, paralyzing Rei's enemy. Now she was the one defenseless, completely vulnerable to Rei's fire arrow, that pierced Cendrillion's armor, setting the woman on fire, overwhelming and extinguishing her in few seconds.

Makoto and Minako were facing Adare and Caitriona once again, but this time, the Dream Reapers wouldn't allow the Sailor Soldiers to exchange adversaries so easily. They kept the young girls on their guard, trying to exhaust them with a barrage of attacks. Makoto was mostly successful in evading Adare's spear, but the woman still managed to hit a few good blows to the green soldier.

Minako tried to break from Caitriona's attacks with her chain, but the weapon just didn't seem to be able to get through. The gentle demon guard was relentless in her attacks, forcing Sailor Venus into a defensive stance. They seemed evenly matched, even more so than in their first fight.

“You look stronger, Sailor Venus.” Caitriona complimented her enemy, with a soft smile in her face. 

“I was careless on our first fight!” Mina confessed, gathering her chain in her hands. “You had hurt Usagi, and kidnapped Mamoru, I wasn't thinking straight. But this time, there are no distractions!” Minako waved her weapon once more, launching a bombardment of heart-shaped beams from the links of her chain. Caitriona was caught off-guard, defending in the nick of time, but unable to block all the attacks. 

“You brat!” Caitriona shouted, as she floated above the ground. “No more games!” Glowing with energy, the demon guard summoned what it appeared to be huge eye-globes surrounding Minako. They fired an energy beam against the Sailor Soldier, paralyzing her completely.

“What?” Minako cursed for being caught in the Dream Reaper's trap. “I can't move!” She wasn't even able to struggle, seeing as it was impossible for her to move a single inch. Caitriona stood in front of her, with her arms crossed. 

“Now, Sailor Venus” she said, gathering energy in her hands. “I'll end our feud once and for all! And I'll finish your friends!” The Dream Reaper felt uneasy, as she saw Minako smiling at her. Was the Sailor Soldier going insane, realizing she would die at that moment? Was she doubting that Caitriona would be able to kill her? “Why are you smiling, Sailor Soldier? Have you gone crazy?”

“You have to be pretty naive if you think that our powers depend solely of our movements.” Minako raised her sight slightly, making the demon guard look as well. There was a gathering of orange lights circling above Minako's head. “Furious Random Crescent Beam!” With her shout, Minako directed all the lights against Caitriona, hitting her from every side. As her concentration broke, Caitriona was unable to keep the orbs paralyzing her enemy. Minako attacked once more, seeing her enemy vulnerable. “Venus!” She shouted, causing her symbol to appear in her hand. Sailor Venus kissed the palm of her hand, forming several hearts as she moved it all around her. “Love and Beauty Shock!” The hearts gathered to form a larger one made of her energy, launching it against Caitriona and creating an explosion of yellow light upon hitting her enemy, defeating her.

Makoto competently evaded the blade of Adare's spear. Unlike their first meeting, the Sailor Soldier was much more apt to fight the Dream Reaper this time around. Even though Adare seemed stronger, the calmness in Sailor Jupiter's eyes revealed that the fight was much more balanced now that Makoto knew what her enemy's fighting style consisted of.

Sailor Jupiter jumped backwards, out of the reach of the spear. In a safe position, she fired her “ _Supreme Thunder Dragon”_ against Adare, who dodged with a dash, trying to get closer to Makoto. The girl was aware of her enemy's intention, also stepping forward, in an attempt to suppress the weapon's reach by standing too close. “Gotcha!” Makoto said, with a smile. Her hands already held enough energy in the form of lightning, ready to release it against Adare. The woman tried to block with her spear, just as Jupiter had anticipated.

The shattering spear left the demon guard astonished. Jupiter's strategy since the beginning of their battle was about getting rid of the weapon as soon as possible. Now the battle would be decided solely in the two women fighting skills, and that left Makoto in a great advantage.

She attacked with a sequence of punches, promptly blocked by Adare. Makoto spun around, feigning a kick with her leg only to open her foe's guard, completing her revolution and hitting the enemy with a direct punch to the stomach, making Adare step back.

“This is for all the pain you have caused, Adare!” Makoto said, with a strenuous gaze in her eyes. She had both hands filled with energy, unleashing it all against the demon guard. The shocking waves crossed Adare's armor, knocking her out. The armored warrior fell to the ground, disappearing after a while. 

Mamoru was hurt. The Bakhtak and his copies seemed too strong for him. While the demon guards appeared to be more noble and more akin to fair-play, the imp didn't care about any of that at all. Overpowering the masked man was a pleasure to the monster, as he relished each and every hit.

Tuxedo Mask found himself cornered against one of the arena's wall, he watched the five Bakhtak approaching him, intrigued by their movement. “Something is off.” Mamoru thought. It happened really fast, but for a single moment he could see that all five instances of the impish monster moved in synchronism.

“That's it!” Mamoru drew five roses, firing them against the monsters in front of him. Four of the roses just passed through their targets, one of them sticking to the demon, surprising him for a split second. It made complete sense: the five imps appeared to be taking turns at attacking him, but actually they moved in a deceitful manner, as the illusions would trade places with the real monster, the only one that was attacking. Tuxedo Mask flailed his cane, striking the Bakhtak without mercy. The monster tried to fend for himself, but Mamoru wouldn't give any opening. When the creature tried to defend from one of the attacks with his fiery sword, Mamoru spun the cane in his hand evading the flaming blade completely, hitting the monster once more. 

“Let's end this!” Mamoru threw his cane up in the air, distracting and confusing the Bakhtak. With the diversion, Tuxedo Mask punished the creature in a flurry of punches. The monster couldn't withstand the attacks, eventually fainting. “I thought you'd never fall down!” Mamoru said, breathless, actually impressed with the monster's endurance.

Usagi clashed with Scáthach, the fierce Dream Reaper. She defended the sword of the demon guard with her rod. The two faced each other with a serious glance in their eyes, which was normal for Scáthach, but didn't normally suited Usagi.

“The hate in your eyes taste real good, Sailor Moon!” The Dream Reaper taunted, as they measured forces. “We must have really gotten to you! You try to be kind to everybody, loving and caring for everyone in your path. That hate, that anger, just show how much of a hypocrite you are!”

“You're right!” Usagi said between breaths, as she was being overwhelmed by Scáthach's strength. “Maybe I'm a hypocrite! I really hate the fact that we have to fight! I feel no joy seeing you or the other demon guards crying in pain! But you dared to try to take our world! You dared to hurt me and my friends, toying with our dreams!” Usagi's speech seemed far from the silly girl, the crying child, the irresponsible leader she has always been known for. It was much more akin to the queen she would become in the future. “So I'll be a hypocrite, Scáthach! I'll be a dissimulator, a deceiver, if I have to!” The determination in Usagi's eyes made the demon guard hesitate. “But I won't let you disturb those people's dreams any longer!” The gleam surrounding her wand made the Dream Reaper open a mysterious smile. Usagi could have sworn she heard a feeble “thank you” from Scáthach, before blasting her away with the “ _Moon Princess Halation”._ The last Dream Reaper faded away, leaving the heroes with an open path ahead of them.

“Now...” Usagi looked at her friends, with a soft smile in her face as she saw everyone was fine. “Where do we go from here?” She asked, looking at Ami, who was still trying to get some useful information on her super computer.

“Girls...” Andrus faint voice could be heard on the phone. He panted, as he had been running away from the youma through that whole time. “I can't seem to find the exit.” He couldn't disguise the fear in his voice. 

“Jiji is still chasing you?” Ami asked, worried.

“His name is _Jiji_?” The boy laughed, recovering his breath. “Somehow he just got less intimidating now that I know his name!”

“He is really dangerous, Andrus!” Rei added, remembering the fight she and Usagi had with that particular monster, long ago. “He won't stop chasing you until one of you is down! You have to find an exit as soon as possible!”

The boy scanned the room in which he had hidden, trying to find a way out. There were many doors, but every time Jiji gave chase, there were many options for him to escape, all of them bearing no fruits, as the monster always found him. “Say...” He gave a deeper thought about his situation. “That monster is always cornering me in rooms with many exits, but none of them seem to give me any advantage, as he always find me...”

“So?” Ami spoke, trying to follow his train of thought. “This place is like a maze, we also have been wandering for a while, and don't seem to be getting closer to Sine!”

“Maybe I should stop running from the monster, and start running towards him!” 

“That's insane, Andrus!” She yelled, worried. “We just said that he is too dangerous, and your strategy is to face him?

“No, listen!” He argued, offended that she had so little faith in him. “What if he is really trying to get me deeper inside the castle? If that's the case, he might be always intentionally coming through doors that would lead me closer to the entrance, knowing that I would run away from him.”

“I don't know, Andrus...” She considered his theory, still unwilling to accept his suicidal strategy.

“Look, I get it!” He said, brushing off his frustration. “I'm not going to take any unnecessary risks, but I can't hide, and I can't run anymore! If I don't try this, he might actually catch me, and I'm not strong enough to defeat him!”

“You're right.” Sailor Mercury said, reluctantly. “I'm sorry, Andrus. I'm just trying to protect you!” 

“I know.” He sighed, still annoyed with that situation. “But sometimes you do more harm trying to protect someone, you know?” He seemed to be speaking from experience. Ami smiled, his words actually made her more calm. 

“Be careful, fireball!” She could hear the door opening, and the grunts of the _youma_ approaching her friend.

Andrus saw the monster appearing through one of the doors. His appearance still made the boy nervous. The eyes facing different directions somehow managed to be creepy enough to give Andrus goosebumps just by looking at them. He pointed the wooden sword at the demon, trembling, wondering if that was really the best course of action.

“So, _Jiji_ , it's time to see which one of us is the better demon!” He ran towards the monster, thinking of a way to escape. He knew Jiji was fast enough to catch him if he tried escaping by the sides of the room. He had to surprise the monster, he had to do something unexpected. He saw Jiji running his way, and seeing how the space between them was getting smaller each second, he took action.

He waved his sword, not in an attack but as a vaulting pole, jumping above Jiji in a clumsy movement. The boy landed behind the monster, almost falling to his face. The surprised creature hesitated, as he saw Andrus running towards the door he had just left. When he tried to give chase, it was already too late: the boy had disappeared behind the changing doors.

“I've done it!” Andrus shouted on his phone, in an adrenaline rush. “I think I lost him, Ami!”

“I'm so relieved!” She spoke, while her party was still wandering aimlessly through that castle's corridors. “Do you recognize the path you took?” Ami's question made Andrus finally pay attention to his surroundings, and he felt like he had passed that hallway before.

“Yeah, it's familiar, I think.” He felt confident, as he looked around. “I think the exist is just around the corner...oh, no!” Ami could hear the telephone dropping to the ground. A chill ran down her spine.

“Andrus!” There was no answer. “Andrus!” 

The boy had just turned a corner, entering a large oval hall, with a stairway leading to a bright argent throne. Sitting in the middle of that room, he could see a beautiful woman in white dress, with pale skin and short white hair sitting on the throne, facing him. She saw him immediately, squinting with a sudden hatred in her eyes. The floor was filled completely with that silver dust she was draining from the townspeople. It moved towards her, as if it energized the leader of the Dream Reapers.

“Andrus!” Ami yelled, uneasy with the sudden silence. He finally snapped out of it, still scared to make any movement. The woman in white dress stood up, gazing upon him in a menacing fashion.

“I found Sine.” He said, in a monotone. Without hesitation, Ami picked up her phone and plugged it into her super computer. She tapped the keys on the device, that flashed frantically with words and numbers. In no time it was showing Andrus location as it was tracking his cellphone.

“I was careless.” Ami thought, as they ran through the castle's hallways. Each room they entered changed Andrus' position slightly, to which Sailor Mercury compensated on her computer screen. They had to guess what would be the correct door many times, but they seemed to be getting closer to the marked spot. “If I had let him come with us...if I didn't send him away once he was inside the castle...” Her heart was racing, each wrong door they chose diminished his chances. “Andrus! Hang on!” She sounded desperate. “We got your location!” Andrus' determination seemed to return upon hearing those words. “We're coming!” He smiled. All he had to do was survive the next few minutes and surely the Sailor Soldiers would arrive and defeat the leader of the Dream Reapers.

As Sine slowly walked down the staircase, Andrus unbuttoned his school jacket, dropping it on the floor. He gripped his fingers around his wooden sword's hilt, focused on his next mission.

“Why are you smiling, boy?” There was anger in Sine's tone. “Have you finally lost your mind?”

“I know why you hate me, Sine.” He said, in a neutral stance, pointing his sword to the ground. “You and I are the same.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, confused. The Sailor Soldiers were also intrigued by his words, as they ran towards Andrus and Sine.

“You don't have a dream, do you, Sine?” He provoked. His smile took a taunting contour. “That's why you need this energy. It's the only thing you care for.” He crouched, passing his fingers through the silver dust. “I also don't have a dream, you know?” He stood up as he saw her getting closer. He circled around the pale woman, hoping his talk would divert her for enough time. All he knew was that he should keep his distance. 

“When you have a dream” He continued to stall, trying to gain as much time as possible. “sometimes it's really painful, and sometimes you get really fired up. Those who fail to fulfill their dreams are cursed through the rest of their lives.” He was merely quoting his favorite hero, but those words had never felt so proper in his life. “Maybe that's why I never had a dream, I was always too afraid of the failure.” Ami and the other girls listened to his talk, paying as much attention as Sine. “But even then, I chose hope, Sine! That's why you couldn't corrupt me! And that's why I can protect other people's dreams, even if I don't have one of my own!” He felt really angry, remembering the pain that woman made him and his friends endure. “You, on the other hand, gave in to despair, and became this monster disguised as an angel!”

“Damn...” She choked through her words, angered out of her mind. “Damn you! Who the hell are you?”

“I'm just a dream walker passing through.” He said, pointing his sword at her direction. He knew she was about to attack, and he wouldn't be able to distract her much longer. “Now come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough!” Before Sine could attack, he leaped towards her, brandishing his sword.

He attacked with a vertical slash that Sine dodged in a fluid move, a mere step to the side. He continued his movement, hitting the ground with the sword so it would bounce and keep his momentum. It was faster than Sine would have anticipated, forcing her to back away.

“Maybe there is a chance” He wondered, frantically attacking. “Maybe I'll actually survive this one!” He was getting more confident, as Sine seemed to be only defending. His positive look turned into despair as soon as Sine caught his sword in her hand like it wasn't even a threat. 

With a single move, she threw him against the wall of the room. He fell down, dropping his weapon. He attempted to stand up, crawling in his weapon's direction. Sine seemed to have just appeared in front of him, wrapping her hands around his neck and lifting him up, forcing him to face her.

“Andrus!” Ami shouted, noticing the battle had begun. “We're almost there!” They could see the throne room in the end of the hallway. They were seconds away from Andrus and Sine.

“Let's see if you really don't have any dreams, boy!” After those words, Sine's eyes shone bright in a pale warm light. The beams invaded Andrus' eyes, who struggled to get free. His screams echoed through the palace. He could hear Ami, Usagi and the others crying his name. And then there was only darkness.

The Sailor Soldiers arrived at the throne room just in time to see the leader of the Dream Reapers stealing energy directly from the boy. It was a gruesome scene, as Andrus shook all over, screaming desperate to free himself. It only took a few seconds for him to stop moving completely. Sine was still holding the boy, who hung in the woman's hands without any reaction. She released the grip around the boy's neck, who fell to the ground with a hard noise. His eyes were empty, reflecting the room as if they were mere black marbles.

Sine stared at the girls, softly laughing as she saw the tears forming in their eyes. She floated back to her throne, and the silver dust in the ground waved wildly. “Now, who will be my next victim?”

 

_Next: The Finale_

 


	10. 10 - Dancing in the Moonlight

**Final Chapter: Dancing in the Moonlight**

 

Sine had a twisted smile on her face as she blocked the successive blades of water thrown at her without breaking a sweat. From the other side of the hallway, Sailor Mercury attacked furiously since the moment she saw Andrus falling, surprising her comrades. It was useless, though, as the Dream Reaper would barely acknowledge the attacks. Ami halted, out of breath.

“Was it cathartic enough for you, pretty girl?” Sine asked, her voice filled with jest. With a soft move of her hand, the silver dust beneath Ami's feet grabbed her, lifting the Sailor Soldier and pulling her closer to Sine. “Did that stupid delinquent meant that much to you?” She enjoyed Ami's struggles, reaching for the girl's chin, forcing Ami to look directly into her eyes. Ami could see the same glow that finished Andrus gathering in that monster's face. Fire, thunder and lightning suddenly hit Sine at once, forcing her to drop Sailor Mercury and back away.

“Felt that, didn't you?” Makoto mocked, standing in front of Rei and Minako. The trio combined their attacks, in an attempt to release Ami from Sine's hold. Sailor Mercury retreated, joining her friends. “Are you alright, Ami?” Sailor Jupiter had a warm and protective tone in her voice. Seeing the boy being defeated made them all uneasy, and she wouldn't let anyone else have the same terrible fate.

“I got carried away!” The blue soldier said, discomposed. “I'm sorry!” She fell on her knees, sobbing.

“This was not your fault!” Rei rested her hand on the girl's shoulder, trying to console her. “The only one to blame is Sine!”

“Let's end this!” Usagi said, as she joined her friends. “If we stop her, we'll save everyone, right?” They stood confidently, gathering their energies while facing Sine. The Dream Reaper laughed, to which the silver dust on the floor reacted, hovering around her as she absorbed the particles.

“Foolish girls!” Her eyes gleamed with the energy she just acquired. “I thought you would appreciate the dream world I created for you.” She casually waved her hands, they knew she was about to attack. “Maybe now I'll have to give you all nightmares!” The energy was discharged against the Sailor Soldiers and the portals to the dream realm appeared once more, trying to drag them away. They resembled the dark matter Andrus sported in his eyes after Sine's attack.

Sailor Moon drew her staff, surprised to find it glowing with the power they harvested while in the dream realm. The portals dragged Ami, Minako, Makoto, Rei and Mamoru away, but Usagi remained in the throne hall. Her new powers reacted with the dust, nullifying and dissipating the portal directed at her, much to Sine's surprise.

“What?!” The leader of the Dream Reapers said, astounded by seeing the sole Sailor Soldier in front of her. “How were you able to resist?”

“I've been caught by your spells twice now, Sine!” Usagi had a defiant tone, even though she was left all by herself. “Let it be known that Sailor Moon never fall three times to the same trap!” She held her hand up high, with three fingers pointing upwards.

“You...” Sine crossed her arms, puzzled. “You shouldn't be bragging about that!”

“Well...” Sailor Moon had an abashed smile in her face, slowly lowering her arm. “You're not the one in charge of what I should be proud of or not....” The girl spoke in a low voice, mostly to herself.

“Enough of your silliness!” The woman in white dress said in an angered tone, gathering energy in her hands. “You have only delayed the inevitable! You're still all alone, Sailor Moon! And I know how weak and vulnerable you feel without your friends!” She shot a round of beams against Usagi. The girl raised her wand, and a bright beacon surrounded her, blocking Sine's attack. She fiercely withstood the Dream Reaper's energy, not giving away a single inch of space.

“I'm not worried!” Usagi yelled, unleashing all her energy. The clash of their powers knocked them both back, forcing them to take a moment to recompose. “I know that they will break away from your nightmare!” She smiled, confident. “The hope I have in them is all I need!”

“All you have to do is resist long enough, right?” The woman floated above the ground once again, facing Usagi. Her gaze made the Sailor Soldier uneasy, as it felt like piercing directly into her soul. The stars in that woman's eyes seemed like they could unleash a supernova upon her enemies, if she so intended to. “That is what your delinquent friend was thinking just a moment before I finished him.” She laughed, softly. “Trust me, I know.”

Usagi stared at the boy's body lying on the ground, still inert. Her heart raced upon hearing Sine's words, and her confidence started to wane. A sudden smile appeared on her face, as she realized her friend was still breathing. She frowned, determined, gathering all her energies, ready for another showdown with the leader of the Dream Reapers.

 

Ami stood up in a dark room, still disoriented. The area's floor, ceiling and walls were all made of a deep navy blue substance. She touched it with her hand, feeling that slimy texture scurrying through her fingers. It didn't take her long to figure out what was happening as she recognized the ethereal feeling she had. It was one of the characteristics of the dream realm.

“I can't believe it!” She said out loud, annoyed. “I've got to get out of here!” She wandered for a while, until she saw a masculine figure walking towards her.

“Why the rush, Ami?” It was Andrus' voice, getting nearer by the second. “Stay here with me.” He got close enough so she could distinguish his features. His face was all torn up in a cadaveric state. He tried to reach his hands to her, but apparently he couldn't see, as there was just an empty space where the eyes should have been. “I'll show you how to be comfortable in darkness!”

“No!” She pushed him away, knocking him down while steeping back, frightened by that scene. “You're not him!”

“Why did you let this happen to me, Ami?” He clumsily stood up, turning to her direction once more. “You knew how scared I was!” He drew the wooden sword, pointing it at her. “Do you know how much it hurt?”

“She doesn't care.” It was Urawa this time, his face was decrepit just the same as Andrus. “We are merely diversions for her, eventually she will get bored of you, and turn back to studying, her only true passion, and that's why she will end up all alone.” He laughed, as his face deteriorated in the process. “One day, even the Sailor Soldiers will become boring and a nuisance for her.”

“Shut up!” Ami yelled, angered. “Don't you dare defile the memories and feelings I have for my friends!” The whole floor turned into water, as the girl collected her strengths. She fired waves to all directions, cleansing the entire room, dissipating the illusions. When her attack ceased, the transformation rod glowed in front of Sailor Mercury. Holding the item, a portal opened in front of her, and she could see Usagi in a standoff against Sine. Sailor Moon's power seemed to be calling for Sailor Mercury, who stepped out of that nightmare, discharging the energy she harvested in the dream world to help Sailor Moon.

Usagi and Ami endured side by side the immense powers the Dream Reaper displayed. The woman couldn't believe her eyes, trying to figure out how could they stand even after she gathered so much dream energy from the people all over the town.

 

“Dishonor!” Rei heard a familiar voice. She knew it was one of Sine's tricks, it didn't take her long to figure out she was trapped in a nightmare. With the transformation pen in her hand, she was about to open a portal back to reality, but the voice disturbed her enough to distract the girl. “Why are you like this, Rei?”

“Who is there?” The Sailor soldier shouted, angered. The man in elegant suit stepped closer, revealing himself as Rei's father. “Dad?” She gasped in surprise, stepping back.

“You were always a tomboy as a child, Rei.” He got closer, with a severe look in his face. “So I left you in a temple to see if you'd acquire some manners!” His eyes were red with anger, and veins popped up all over his features. “They've ruined you!”

“Is that the best you can do?” Rei asked with a bored tone in her voice, while she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “After all we have been through, that's the torture Sine had planned for me?”

“What?” He couldn't disguise the surprise in his face. “Respect me, Rei!”

“Oh, but I respect my father!” Flames gathered all around Rei, who softly smiled. “Even though we don't see eye to eye in many things, and even if sometimes I resent him and wished for things to be better, I also know that our mutual love wouldn't end just because my choices don't match his!” She unleashed the burning beams, destroying that nightmare. In the following moment, she was beside Usagi and Ami, firing all the energy concentrated in her transformation rod at Sine's direction.

 

Makoto had beaten up dozens of delinquents that tried to mess with her. The remaining just stared at the tall brawler, frightened by that display of power.

“The...” One of the punks stuttered “the leader of the 'Thunder Roses' is too strong!”

“But she is all alone!” The fallen boys rose again, attacking Makoto, who couldn't stop fighting. She felt like running away, but her primary instinct was to keep in the combat.

“She is a monster!” She could hear, as another foe was defeated.

“I bet that's all she is good for!” Another one went down. She was getting tired. Raising her hand, she gathered a grand amount of thunders, releasing them around her body, knocking them down.

“Actually...” She said, confidently, as she felt Usagi's energy calling for her. “I'm a great cook. And fighting was only a small part of my life. It made me who I am, but it never defined me!” Sailor Jupiter took her pen, which flashed in a bright light. “Since I met that silly girl, I've realized that I am much more than meet the eyes! I can't be here slacking off while she is out there, needing my help!” With a wave of her hand, Makoto opened the path she needed to return to her friends' side.

 

Minako was surrounded by an angry mob, who threw disks, shirts and photos at her. They shouted viciously and the young woman could barely defend herself.

“Traitor!” One said, trying to hit her. “We supported you all this time, and you are abandoning us?”

“You're the worst, Mina-chan!” Another one managed to kick her. “You leave your singing career to act in a stupid soap opera? What about your fans?”

“You sell your face and body to that ridiculous show! Show some self-respect, Minako!” The faceless crowd continued to bash the Sailor Soldier. Astonishment took place, as the girl rose seemingly unaffected by their insults.

“I get it.” Minako smiled, as she spoke in a calm voice. “You think that because my dream is to become an idol, my nightmare has to be failing at it, right?” With a wave of her hand, she turned back into Sailor Venus. “But you're wrong!” She yelled. “Can you hear me, Sine?” Light overtook the place, powering the girl. “My worst nightmare is to be without my friends! And as long as I can fight, I won't let anyone take those girls away from me!” The light blasted away the dream reality she was trapped, giving way for the real world, as Minako rejoined the Sailor Soldiers.

 

Mamoru was sobbing, as he had the deceased bodies of Usagi and Chibiusa in his arms. They were all dressed in their future Crystal Tokyo attire, but he found himself all alone in a dark room.

“You let that happen to us, Mamo-chan?” Usagi said, in what appeared to be her final breath. “You failed us!”

“Usako!” He cried, trying to figure out what was happening. A gleaming gem revealed in his pocket, the earth crystal shone bright in a light unknown to the man. “What is that?”

“Papa...” Chibiusa softly spoke, as if she was hurt. “Why am I so cold?” He turned his face in her direction, but the crystal blocked his view. That energy, that feeling, what did it mean? Mamoru realized the two girls felt lighter than they should. Lighter than any person could be. His moves also felt constricted, restrained.

“This is a dream.” The memories of Sine returned to him immediately. Usagi's face burned his mind, as if she called for him. “That's why my crystal is reacting.” He stood up, holding the crystal up high, resisting the calls of his wife and child, crossing the gateway out of the dream realm, seeing his friends still fighting Sine.

 

“What is happening?” Sine asked, upon the arrival of Sailor Mars.

“You're way out of touch, Sine!” Mars spoke, harshly. “You tried to toy with our feelings once more, but the nightmares you created for us only made us stronger!”

“What else could be expected from someone who is unable to dream?” Makoto said, appearing right next to her friends. She pointed her rod against Sine, joining the resistance of the Sailor Soldiers.

“Someone who don't realize our dreams are one of our most precious treasure!” Minako stepped out of a portal, following the Sailor Soldiers and adding her energy to the beam, that was already taking gigantic proportions.

“A monster hungry for power, too detached from reality to see that the true power of dreams come from the hopes of those who are dreaming!” Tuxedo Mask had his earth crystal in his hand, as he also had gathered energy in the dream realm. Unleashing their power, they seemed to gain the upper hand in the confrontation with Sine.

“No!” There was desperation in Sine's voice, as she was getting overpowered. She surrounded herself in the energy she collected from the dreams, trying to use it to her advantage. For a moment it worked. Powered by the silvery debris from people's dreams, she managed to push the Sailors' attack back at them. “It's not enough!” Tears started rolling through her face. Her castle began to fade, as she consumed even the energy she used to create her palace. “It's not fair!” She thought to herself, as the sorrow took over her. Solitude, anger, despair. The feelings that were always by her side now proved to be weaker than those girls' determination, bliss and hope.

“The dream walker was right” Sine reminisced. “Sailor Moon was right: there is no way that the despair can overcome hope.” The bright light from the girls' attack overcame her, knocking her against the throne, and then against the wall. Sine tried to stand up, but her powers were waning fast.

Sailor Moon and her friends walked towards the leader of the Dream Reapers. They were determined to put an end to this. The past days were nightmarish for those heroes. Usagi, Mamoru, Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako had been through many trials in that small gap of time that made it seem longer than it really was. They halted, surprised to see Sine bawling her eyes out. The woman's tears clashed with the anger in her face, as she looked to the soldiers in an accusatory way.

“Go ahead!” She yelled, trying to fight her tears. “Look all you want!” She tried to stand up, but couldn't gather enough energy. “Judge me all you want!” She bowed her head, gripping her fingers to her white dress, tainted by her tears. “You never had to deal with the void that is not being able to dream!”

“Sine...” Usagi felt bad, seeing her enemy in that state. All her fighting spirit disappeared at the moment she realized that those tears, that feeling, it was all real.

“Where were the Sailor Soldiers when I needed protection from the solitude?” The Dream Reaper punched the ground, infuriated. “What did you dream in the nights that I was haunted by the despair? Knowing that something was missing, unable to tell what it was?”

“That doesn't give you the right to steal and feed of other people's dreams!” Makoto said, fiercely, although disturbed by the woman's speech.

“Tell me, then! Why can everyone dream, but I have to conform with being a monster?” She looked at Sailor Jupiter, genuinely looking for an answer. The Sailor Soldiers hesitated, unable to react. Usagi looked at the other girls, and exchanged a swift gaze with Mamoru. They all nodded, knowing what was about to come. Sine saw her enemies lifting their crystal, ready to finish her.

“I'm tired, Sailor Moon.” She sighed, finally able to stand up. “I'm so tired of the hate, tired of the nothingness in my chest.” She stared at the girls' faces, accepting her fate. “Just end my suffering, Moon Princess!” They fired at her, using the last strands of the dream energy they had harvested.

Sine was bombarded by images of those girls dreams: Usagi and Mamoru's dreams of marrying each other, living happily together; Ami as a doctor, having a united family; Makoto's dreams of having a bakery shop; Rei becoming the head priestess of Hikawa Shrine; Minako as an idol. All of them dreamed that their friendship would last forever. That energy tore Sine apart. For the first time she knew what was like to have a dream, and it changed her.

“Thank you...” Usagi heard Sine say in a feeble voice, before fading away. The castle crumbled as if it was made of sand, disappearing in few seconds. They could see the energy being dragged back to its real owners, as the city started to wake up. Slowly, the sky normalized without Sine's corruption.

“I can't believe it's over...” Minako sat on the middle of the deserted avenue where the castle once was. She was exhausted. Luna came running into their way, pleased to see them.

“You did it, girls!” She jumped onto Usagi's shoulders, barely containing her excitement. “You won!” Luna noticed that there was a sad smile in each of those girls faces. Victory like those always tasted bitter. Usagi felt gloom, walking in a slow pace, still a little disoriented.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, as Mamoru held her close to him. “I know what you're thinking.” He spoke in a low voice, as if whispering to her. “But you can't blame yourself for Sine's mischievous behavior.” She held tight onto him, trying to cope with that guilty feeling she had. “Maybe if we had met her earlier, this could have been avoided, but it wasn't your absence that made her choose her way.”

“Thanks, Mamo-chan!” She rested her head against his chest, thinking about his words. It felt somehow better. It took only a second, though, for the tension to return. Ami had ran towards Andrus as soon as they saw the silver dust returning to its rightful owners, but the boy hadn't woken up yet.

“Andrus?” Ami held the boy in her arms, shaking him in a gentle motion, but he didn't respond to her efforts. “Please, wake up!” His eyes were still a pit of darkness, reflecting his surroundings like a deep purple mirror.

“Why don't he wake up?” Makoto and the other girls surrounded the couple, worried. “We won, right? He should be back by now!”

“He's barely breathing!” Ami had her head close to his chest, hearing his heartbeats. “And his cardiac rate is really low. It's like...”

“Like what?” Rei said, concerned.

“Like he's in a coma!” The blue soldier felt desperate. He should be back by now. They defeated Sine, all the energy was returned to their proper place, so why was he still under the Dream Reaper's spell? She trembled in a mix of fear and anxiety. She caught her transformation pen, standing up in front of the boy.

“What are you going to do, Ami?” Usagi was worried, and had an urge to try and help out.

“I'll go inside his dreams!” She didn't give much thought to the matter, all she cared for in the moment was bringing her friend back. The rod shone bright with the dream energy. “I'll find him!” Her words were feeble, as she couldn't form a portal to Andrus' dreams. “Why it isn't working?” There was pain in her voice, which was shared by the other Sailor Soldiers.

All the girls and Tuxedo Mask drew their own crystal, trying to help with the portal, but they had used most of the energy they gathered in the dream realm to defeat Sine, making it unable to form a proper gateway. Without it, and with Sine gone, it seemed impossible to rescue the dream walker. Ami stared at her friend, still unable to believe this was happening, still hoping that he would wake up at any second, laughing and teasing them for worrying about him. But it didn't happen.

 

 

 

It had been four days. The city had returned to normal, and the Dream Reapers were a feeble remembrance of nightmares and bad dreams, except for that boy that slept in the guest room of the Hikawa Shrine. He had been a yankee, a delinquent, and a dream walker, but the girls looking out for him called him “friend”.

They took turns, watching him closely, but in all of those days he hadn't presented any changes in his sleeping or breathing pattern. His blank expression and faint respiration anguished his caretakers, who were unable to help. Ami spent most of her free time reading in the library, and researching on the internet about dreams, in hopes of finding something useful. She read all she could find, be it fiction or scientific, from Michio Kaku to Neil Gaiman, she had read it, and still there wasn't much useful material.

She was leaving the library that fourth day, when her cellphone rang, startling the distracted girl. She picked up, it was Makoto. She was supposed to be on the temple that evening. “Makoto?” Ami spoke in a defeated tone that seemed constant that week. “Is everything alright?”

“Ami,” The girl's voice was so serious that Ami was alert in a split second. “You have to come to the temple right now!”

“Is everything okay?” She asked, hurrying her pace, and then running at her fastest. “Your voice...”

“Something's come up, and I think you need to see this!”

“I'll be right there!” They hung up, and in a few minutes Ami was leaving the stairs of the Hikawa Shrine behind her. When she arrived, Usagi and the other soldiers were already there, with a confused look on their faces.

“What's going on?” Ami could see Andrus still laying on the bed, sleeping heavily. Rei entered the room, followed by five young women. It took few seconds for the blue soldier to recognize them, but she realized soon enough that those were the demon guards of the Dream Reapers. They were different, looking as human as the Sailor Soldiers, but it was undeniable that those were their former enemies. Ami took a defensive stance, ready to transform at the slightest movement of the group.

“Please, sit down.” Scáthach spoke in a gentle voice, disarming Ami's attitude immediately. “My name is Moira, and we're here to help.” She was the oldest of the group, with brown wavy hair that went down her shoulders.

“M...Moira?” The girl was baffled. The woman was so polite and emanated such genuine kindness that Ami was caught off-guard.

“Now that you are all here, we can explain.” Cendrillion said, sitting next to the Sailor Soldiers. “My name is Brianna, and I, much like your friend, am a dream walker.” She differed the most from her demon guard form. Without the ashes covering her face, they could see how pretty she really was, with her long red hair and green eyes.

“That's how Sine formed her demon guard.” Adare sat next to Makoto, as if she wanted to reconcile with her former adversary. “She took people with the talent of entering other people's dreams, and corrupted them. My name is Killeen” she shook hands with Makoto, with a kind smile across her features.

“I'm...I'm Makoto!” The girl felt awkward in that situation, but appreciated Killeen gesture.

“I'm Ciara!” The younger girl with blonde hair said, energetically. “But you knew me as Caitriona!”

“And I'm Nuadha.” The girl with short brown hair stared directly at Ami, as they have fought each other the most. “I faced you and Andrus as Chenelle.”

“We discovered our skills a few days before that whole situation started.” Moira took the lead, once more. “I think Sine's desire to be free forced our talents to reveal themselves at almost the same moment.” She saw Andrus, and sadness took over her. “Andrus, on the other hand, had been able to walk into people's dreams for a much longer time. He must have told you that, right?”

“Yes!” Ami spoke, still suspicious of that whole situation. “But how do you know that?”

“I met him in the dream realm before this whole ordeal took place.” She said, resting her elbows on the center table, with her hands on her cheeks and a nostalgic look on her face. “He was helping me with my powers. I wonder if he suspected of who Scáthach really was.”

“Sine tried to make him a demon guard as well.” Nuadha interrupted Moira's nostalgia trip. “But he wasn't as green as we were at the time, so he was able to resist her spell.”

“So that's why Sine really hated him!” Ami concluded, analyzing all the information they received. “I remember him saying that Sine wasn't able to corrupt him, so that's what he meant!”

“AH!” Ciara yelled, as if something was wrong. Everyone looked at her, embarrassing the young woman. “We forgot to thank you!”

“You're right!” Killeen laughed at the girl's spontaneity, and then turned to the Sailor Soldiers. “We're really thankful that you saved us!” All bowed their heads, in appreciation.

“We didn't even know you were being used by Sine!” A flustered Usagi spoke, laughing. “But I'm glad you are okay!”

“So” Moira said. “Now we are going to help you!”

“You can bring Andrus back?” Ami was excited, almost crossing the table as she spoke to Moira.

“Kinda.” Moira sighed. “We already tried, and actually managed to enter his mind.” She stood up, walking towards the young man. “But Sine made a serious damage, as she ripped his ability to dream and locked himself in the darkest corner of his mind. He didn't respond to our pleads, but we think that you can bring him back, Ami Mizuno.” Moira extended her hand to Ami.

“What are we waiting, then?” Ami grabbed the woman's hand, impatient.

Moira smiled, surprised to see that girl ignoring any difficulty it might cross her path. “Are you ready to know the deepest and most disturbing secrets in that boy's mind?”

“There is no other way, right?” Her fierce stare showed how much determination she had. The other former Dream Reapers stood by Ami and Moira, and without even realizing, she was already in the boy's mind.

It was dark and cold. She could hear a dripping noise but couldn't pinpoint the exact position of that sound. Every step she took felt soft and fluffy, like walking in a cotton path. She could see a faint light in the distance, carefully approaching it. The scenery changed to a school hallway, much like the one in Juuban High School. She heard a feminine scream, and before she knew she was racing towards one of the classrooms, opening the door in a haste. “That voice, that was Hana's voice!” She heard Andrus, but couldn't see him anywhere. Hana was one of the boy's only friend, but Ami wondered how she could have known that.

“Takuma!” Ami spoke, but in Andrus' voice, to a boy with short dark hair. That was another close friend of the boy. “What is going on?” She looked to the ground and there was a girl, crying, with a red mark on her face. Ami could hear Andrus' thoughts: Takuma had just hit her. “What did you do?” She walked towards Takuma, grabbing him by his collar. “Answer me!” The whole scene turned into a blank. Ami punched the boy's face, knocking him down, and proceeded to a severe beating. She heard Hana's screams for her to stop, but she wouldn't listen. She stood up, breathless, as she saw Takuma's face beaten to a pulp. She felt disgusted. She was now seeing the same scene from an outsiders point of view. Andrus' hands were covered in blood, as he stood over Takuma, disgusted by what he had just done. She could see that he was much younger than when she met him.

All changed around her, and she saw Andrus sitting by the stairs of a place she soon recognized as the _Homura Ryu Kendo_ dojo. He had his head down, and couldn't seem to stop crying. An old man appeared, with a gentle look on his face.

“Takuma is out of danger, Andrus.” He sat beside his grandson, trying to comfort him. “He is in a coma, but he will survive.”

“Why do I have to be like this, grandpa?” He sobbed, making a huge effort to speak. “I couldn't stop myself, and when I saw him...” He hugged his grandfather, holding him tight as the tears rolled across his face. “I wish I was dead!”

“Don't be silly...” The man said, his voice began to fade, changing to a different scene. He was in the presence of a serious man, he looked like Andrus, but older. He also had dark hair, differing from the boy’s blazing red.

“I'm sending you to Brazil.” The man said, nonchalantly. “You almost killed your best friend, you have been expelled from your school. This isn't working. You need a fresh start.”

“Will you be coming with me, dad?” The boy said, angered upon hearing the man speaking to him.

“No, your grandfather will go. We will trade places for a while.”

“Then I'll gladly go with him.” Andrus didn't disguise the wrath in his tone. He wanted to provoke his father, he wanted to create that animosity. Still, he felt awful when he saw the disappointed and saddened look in his father's face. “Why do I have to be like this?” His thoughts echoed through his mind. Seeing those images and hearing those thoughts made Ami's heart heavy.

She tried to walk away from those visions, as they appeared to be part of Sine's punishment that Moira and the others spoke about. She wandered pointlessly for a few minutes, seeking for her friend. She suddenly realized there was a thin red string attached to her pinkie finger. She was puzzled at first, wondering how she could have missed it before that moment. Without giving much thought, she followed the red line, eventually finding the boy carrying his bike, the other end of the red string attached to his own little finger. It should be the real Andrus and not just a figment of his memory, as he stood with the same appearance he had when they fought Sine. He walked, but didn't seem to move out of his place. She noticed the busted tires on the bike, and the broken chain.

“Andrus!” She said, happy to see him, but he didn't react. He stared at the scenes from his past being played out in front of his eyes. “Andrus! Look at me!” She tried to stand in his way, but even then she couldn't get his attention.

The scenario changed once more, and Andrus was in a more familiar classroom this time. Ami saw the boy sitting in his chair, trying to get some sleep. “This is Juuban High!” Ami realized. The boy woke up with the sound of the door being opened. He looked up and saw five students staring at him with a suspicious look in their faces. “Here we go.” He thought, Ami listened. They avoided the boy and sat in the other side of the room. Andrus sighed. “Well, Ami did warn me about that.” He stood up and went to talk to those boys.

He introduced himself, and explained what had happened to him: the whole bike ordeal, and his friendly manners actually compensated, as the students ended easing up on him and soon were having a cordial talk with the red haired boy. “This is working out better than I thought!”

Eventually, the boys went out of control, attacking Andrus. “Oh, come on!” He evaded their attacks until they cornered him. “Don't make me do this!” She could feel the anxiety taking a hold of the boy. She could feel his hesitation, as all he could think about was Takuma. He fought back, feeling like a monster that whole time. When he knocked every single one of them, he looked at the door and found himself surrounded by the students of that classroom.

“Not this again...” Ami then appeared by the door. Seeing herself through Andrus eyes felt really weird. “Oh, no!” He thought, as his heart raced. He saw the terrified look in her eyes. “Please, no! Not her!” He couldn't breath. “She's afraid of me...What have I done?” His hands were shaking, the rage he always fought against was taking over.

“Andrus!” She screamed, trying to get a hold of him. “I wasn't afraid of you!” She held his bike's handles, and for a second he looked directly at her. “I was afraid for you!”

“I know!” She heard him thinking. The scene disappeared, as if her words worked. She figured out that that memory only appeared because of her voice, and that her words were getting through him, somehow.

“Andrus” She had a soft smile in her face, realizing how she could assist him. “Do you remember how we met?” That sentence. It wasn't by chance that he said that to her when they were trapped in the dream world. He had enough experience by that point to know that this one sentence could trigger her mind, and now she would do the same for him.

“Not a problem.” She heard him say, after they bumped into each other. She saw him getting farther, as he thought to himself: “Come on, man. The girl have nothing to do with your crappy day!” He continued walking, until he stopped. “You want to change, don't you? Start changing now!” He turned around, and his heart raced faster than ever.

“Oh, my god!” He thought. “She is so cute!” His hands started to sweat, he trembled. “Stop staring! Say something before she thinks you're weird! Say something smart! She looks like she's into smart guys!” Ami didn't realize his shyness and his stuttering when they met. She blushed by seeing that scene through his eyes. “It's okay to be afraid!” the boy said. “What are you doing?” He thought. He followed with his speech about how he fell off his bike, the kids laughing. He talked about sincerity and friendship. “You hypocrite! Talking about sincerity, but not a single mention about how you can walk into dreams!”

“You're a little weird, aren't you?” He saw a smile appearing on the girl's face, and a joy took over him. “Yeah! I am the weirdest and luckiest man in this world!” She laughed, unable to contain her delight every time she heard his thoughts.

“Andrus” She continued. It seemed to be working, as she saw the bike chain and tires had been restored. “Remember when I met you at your dojo?” They were now walking side by side. He pushed his bike beside him, Ami was really surprised to see how much shy and awkward he felt in those moments that he was with her and, even though she felt a little guilty for invading his privacy, she couldn't deny she actually enjoyed seeing him through that light.

“Go on, man!” He thought, as she saw him staring at her, then staring at the bike. “Offer her a ride!” His hands were shaking, he gulped, unable to say the words he wanted to. Ami took the place of her memory self, standing next to Andrus. He stared at her once again. She had to take that chance.

“We can go on your bike, Andrus!” She said, looking at him. He paralyzed, his heart felt like it skipped a beat. They stared at each other for a long moment. Ami was anxious to know if her tactics were working. “Eu gosto de você, Andrus!” She spoke softly. She researched more than only dreams in those four days. She needed to know what he said to her before they parted their ways in Sine's castle. The words she said were real. They came from the real Ami, and reached the real Andrus, and, upon hearing them, the darkness in his mind broke into a million pieces. “I really like you!” She said once more, as she held him, squeezing him. “Even after seeing your darkest times, I really, really like you!” He hugged her, she could feel his heartbeat, she could feel his breath on her neck. “So please, come back to us!”

They were back at the shrine, still hugging one another. He looked at her, held her chin, and gave her a tender kiss on her lips. For a single moment, they ignored the whole crowd of Sailor Soldiers and former Dream Reapers surrounding them. Ami nested her head on his chest. “Welcome back, Andrus!”

“How long was I out?” His voice was weak and drowsy. His head was light, as if he had too much to drink the night before.

“Four days.” Rei said, getting the couple's attention.

“The old demon is going to kill me!” He laughed, followed by Ami. “ _And my father he is going crazy, he says I'm living in a trance..._ ” There was a cadence in his voice that goes unnoticed by the crowd.

“What?” Ami asked, confused at first, but relaxing as she saw a smile on his face.

“ _But I'm dancing in the moonlight_.” He sang, completely off-key. She laughed, hugging him once again. Usagi held onto Mamoru's arm, cheerful. She rejoiced seeing Ami laughing, and seeing Rei, Makoto and Minako with a satisfied smile on their faces. The nightmare was finally over. They were finally all together.

 


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 

It had been three weeks since Ami rescued Andrus. They were sitting by this table carefully arranged with flowers and tea cups. “So, you two are a couple now?” The woman in white dress spoke as she poured tea in the cups for the duo. They blushed with her question, each of them averting their eyes in a different direction. “You guys are adorable.” Sine laughed, joining them for tea.

“You look well, Sine!” Ami said, drinking the beverage. It had a soft and unique taste, that she attributed to being an effect of the dream realm. “How have you been?”

“I'm fine, Ami.” There was a lightness in the former leader of the Dream Reapers' voice. “I feel like I have reborn, you know?” She gazed upon her own hand with wonder in her eyes. “The whole world is so much different now that you gave me the ability to dream.”

“I'm really glad!” Andrus spoke with joy, as he tasted the tea. 

“I'm sorry I couldn't bring you out, Andrus.” Sine apologized, knowing what she made him endure. “It took me some time to realize what had happened to me, and by then Ami and the other dream walkers had already released you from my curse.”

“Don't worry about that!” He said, flustered. “Everything turned out for the best, right? And nothing beats waking up with Ami by my side!” Ami spat her tea, and Sine laughed, as both realized Andrus was oblivious to how that sounded. 

“So” Ami tried to divert the attention from the boy, who only now figured out what he actually said. “What are you going to do know, Sine?”

“What do you think?” She smiled, standing up and striking a goofy pose. “I have decided that I will protect everybody's dream!” She belted a loud laugh, with her hands in her waist. Ami and Andrus were amazed at how much joy they could see in her.

“You could call yourself Masked Kamen mask!” Andrus stood next to her, excited, as he copied her pose. Ami shook her head, softly laughing at the silly duo. 

“And what about you, dream walker?” Sine turned to Andrus. “Are you able to dream now?”

“That's funny.” He walked to the window of the dining room, seeing a field of flowers that Sine created in her dream realm. “A few months ago, I was so empty and broken that I couldn't have a dream of my own. But look at me now: I'm alive, with friends, and a beautiful girl that actually likes me.” He stretched himself, in a lazy manner. “I feel that my reality has become way more interesting than any dream I might have!”

 

They walked out of Sine's dream realm, right in front of the Hikawa Shrine. It was one of the highest spots in town, and they could see the city lights shining bright below them: it was a nice view. Andrus felt Ami's hand holding onto his and looked at her, with a large smile in his face. She had a troubled gaze upon her eyes.

“So, you still don't have any dreams, Andrus?” She said, blushing. His hand brushed against her neck, halting close to her ear. The other hand wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer to him.

“I'm living one right now, Ami!” He kissed her gently, then released the girl and subtly walked away. She stared, confused. “And maybe I do have a dream” He started running. “But you'll have to catch me in order for me to tell!” She followed, as they both laughed.

“Hey! That's not fair!” She pretended to be angry, rejoicing in the unexpected tag game. The moonlight shone upon the young two lovers, as they danced the night away.

 

 


End file.
